Improving Reading Performance for Students Living with Abuse or Neglect Robert Hull 1

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 A collection of chapters that address educating students with a history of trauma  Includes chapters on Homelessness, Refugees, Living with substance abusing parents and many other sources of childhood trauma.  Written by a collection of experts in trauma, agency administrators and teachers just like you.  Written for teachers to assist with teaching.  Published by Oxford University Press  Bibliography of children’s literature. 3

Adverse Childhood Experiences 1.Child physical abuse 2.Child sexual abuse 3.Child emotional abuse 4.Neglect 5.Mentally ill, depressed, or suicidal person in the home 6.Drug addicted or alcoholic family member 7.Witnessing domestic violence against the mother 8.Loss of a parent to death or abandonment, including abandonment by parental divorce 9.Incarceration of any family member. 4

ACEs in WASHINGTON SCHOOLS – SOPHOMORES AND SENIORS (2010)

Poverty Level No adverse family experiences One adverse family experience Two or more adverse family experiences Less than 100% of Poverty Level 35%31%34% %50%25% %50%25% 400% +73%17%10% 6

AgeNo adverse family experiences One adverse family experience Two or more adverse family experiences 0-5 years70%18%12% %28%18% %20%28% 7

How do you embed motivation, concentration, “personal” problem solving and using personal experience into reading goals for students with a trauma history?

 G” stands for good fortune. “I” stands for ill fortune. “B” stands for the beginning of a story. “E” stands for its end. How do we turn this story into these stories? 9

 Resistance…Immune to the stressor  Resiliency…Ability to rebound  Recovery…..Improved performance after trauma How do we emphasize these concepts in stories? 10

Discussion Questions  What preparations did the characters make?  How did they use social support and create a team effort?  What did they think led to solving the problem (positive cognitions)?  At the end of the story do you think they are more capable of handling other problems? 11

Emphasize these  The value of friends and the support of others  Making important decisions,  resolving conflict,  when to be loyal,  taking control  Taking responsibility for actions  Learning the power of optimism  Cultivating integrity 12

 Stock the classroom with books and have students create bulletin boards that show people who have overcome adversarial situations.  This presents models of adults and children solving problems and connects children with the emotional experiences of the characters  Improves emotional vocabulary, moves at-risk situations to challenging situations  Personal understanding deepens and increases 13

 improved relationships,  new possibilities for one's life,  a greater appreciation for life, a greater sense of personal strength  and spiritual development. I am more vulnerable yet stronger, even though I was unable to control events my capability was challenged and I prevailed. 14

 Personal strength tolerance of continued distress (Courage)  Relating to others, developing stronger bonds with others  New possibilities and greater self reliance, sense of ability to survive and prevail  Appreciation of life rethinking values and priorities 15

 Shelf Life…remains usable over time  Potency…effectiveness related to a specific stressor  Robustness…How many stressors does it work for  Transportability…can it be moved  Durability…Maintains its utility under sustained use 16

 Replenishability…ease and efficiency of replacement  Accessibility…how easily obtained and utilized  Efficiency…resources to be expended to ensure the coping meets the demands of the situation  Facilitative effect…does the resource allow access to other resources? 17

Giving the child and those in the child’s life the assurance that they do have what it takes to be successful. What strengths in the story lay a better foundation for continued success even after the story is over. Building on the strengths of characters assists readers to begin the rebuilding of competence, hope, and self-efficacy. 18

Reading has the  Power to reach these children and teach them new skills.  shows students how to build and form relationships and attachments; to empower children and make them feel secure.  ability to create new chapters in a child’s life. 19

Promote Attachment and Trust Reading can be used with children at a young age to promote social and emotional development, attachment or trust, and problem solving skills to support easy transitions and post traumatic growth during and after a stressful event or series of events 20

Through instruction and activities, teachers guide children to build on experiences of self- regulation and (learn to) develop more adaptive responses to problems. This acquisition of self- regulation is of utmost importance to students as it teaches healthy coping mechanisms and problem solving skills. 21

Appreciation of life rethinking values and priorities Reading can provide a good example for children by using diverse examples of family life, to help kinship care seem more normal. Teachers can and should point out strengths and resiliencies to children, while helping them accept that they cannot cure a loved one’s problems. 22

 Look for the real opportunities  Validate yourself and others  Look for things we can do together  Turn the stories of struggle into stories of inspiration  Have compassion for the invisible wounds 23

“It is not hard to change the world because the need for change is all around us, just walk out the front door of any home in America, and open your eyes” If you need proof that what you do works just look around this room and you will see all the proof you need. 24

Show them the way HOME 25

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