This month, one of my classroom lessons is on learning styles. The students complete a survey to determine their learning style, and then we brainstorm ways to use their learning style to study and absorb classroom material. With some students, I can predict what their learning style will be, such as the student whose results revealed she’s an auditory learner, after she read each survey item out loud and hummed to herself while choosing her answers! With others, the results are a total surprise. It’s a fun way to help students recognize that along with the responsibility of being accountable for their own learning, they have the freedom to get creative in doing their best work.
Using this lesson has also reminded me that when it comes to visual learning, we’re talking about images as much as words. No matter what your learning style is, I bet you can think of a photograph, a work of art, or a mental snapshot from your life (the look on someone’s face at a wedding or a funeral, a monument or landmark on a trip, where you were when you received life-changing news) that stimulates a strong feeling response. The power of visuals should be kept in mind when you are selecting literature for bibliocounseling activities. Take advantage of your own freedom to get creative in doing you best work! There are many ways to prompt dialogue with students through the use of visuals, ranging from the obvious, such as the illustrations in a picture book, to the more innovative, including analyzing a book’s cover art and design. Even simply printing a photograph or image inspired by the text of the poem, lyrics, or story you’re using has the potential to spark powerful conversations by evoking emotional reactions and helping students consider the material from a new angle.
Visuals can also help students with learning disabilities or those who are uncomfortable with written language. You are wise to evaluate if your literature-based materials can be grasped for meaning by your students; doing so is ethical bibliocounseling practice. But before you dismiss a work of literature as too difficult or abstract, consider if a visual related to the material can be the bridge that allows students to make a meaningful connection between the text and their own experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Students who may find it challenging to understand a poem’s figurative language may have no problem telling you what comes to their mind and how they feel when they see a picture related to the symbol or metaphor used.
I’ve learned this firsthand in my bibliocounseling activities this year. In one small group session with fifth grade girls, we read a Langston Hughes poem that is full of figurative language. After a quick online search, I found a few images to help us work through the poem, and we ended up having a meaningful dialogue about the worth of our dreams and persevering even when those closest to us don’t (or can’t) understand or support what we’re after. A couple of the girls complained about having to do work in group while I passed out copies of the poem, but when they realized we were using the material to help us talk about something relevant (themselves, and their dreams), we were suddenly in business. It was exciting to see how the poem combined with the simple images served as a springboard for a great discussion.
I’d love to know how you’re using bibliocounseling in your school counseling program. How do you use visuals to enhance your activities and lessons? How do your students respond to the art, photographs, or other images you bring along with the literature? Reach out to me if you have ideas to share, or if you’d like to know more about using visuals to help students understand bibliocounseling materials that can be challenging to grasp. I love brainstorming ways to make literature of all kinds meaningful in a therapeutic way, and I can’t wait to hear what has been working for you!
- Katie