- Behavior
- Education
Reading can help your child battle loneliness
If you’re struggling with how to help your child overcome loneliness, you may find answers within the pages of a book.
One strategy is to help your child develop seven strengths by connecting to the characters in their books, including friendship and kindness, says Kelly Gilbert, certified educator of K-5 Reading Intervention for the School District of Palm Beach County. She trains literacy volunteers to nurture students who embrace reading, known as super readers.
“The seven strengths help children access their emotions through connections to texts they read or that are read aloud to them, and in conversations with you,” Gilbert says. “You can use these questions to prompt those conversations.”
Strengths that reading can help develop in children include belonging, curiosity, friendship, kindness, confidence, courage, and hope.
For friendship, parents can ask their children, “When have you felt a connection to another person? When has a friendship from a book inspired you?” For kindness, questions can be, “When have you reached out to others? What books are you reading (or are we reading) that show kindness?”
The answers can help parents determine whether the child is feeling isolated, which can open the door to more discussions about making friends, talking to new people or being kind.
SOURCES:
• Kelly Gilbert, certified educator of K-5 Reading Intervention, School District of Palm Beach County
• Megan Richards Bob, Education and Family Literacy director, Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County
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Related resources
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- Education
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School District of Palm Beach County
School library media center resources — print and electronic resources for students
561-434-8000 Website -
- Education
Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County
Countywide programs to promote literacy for children and adults
561-279-9103 Website -
- Education
- Parenting
- Things to do
BRIDGES of Palm Beach County
Ten neighborhood hubs help parents raise children healthy, safe and strong
561-740-7017 Website