Using Self-Compassion to Help Readers Grow – Pernille Ripp

Another post first shared on Patreon, but one that is oh so relevant as we continue to attempt to build meaningful reading relationships.

I came across a fascinating article that discussed the three pillars of self-compassion and how actively developing it can help us alleviate anxiety and depression. Immediately, my mind jumped to reading identity and overall school affinity for students. How does self-compassion and seeing your own worth tie in with how we develop and what we are willing to try?

So I have a few ideas for how we can take this work and bring it into our classrooms as a part of what we already do. In my experience, some kids who hate reading have this reaction because of how reading makes them feel; worthless, and so when we focus on developing self-compassion, they can sometimes shift their mindsets into one of awe rather than disappointment.

Reading is an incredibly complex brain capability. It is not something that just happens, but something we have to train our brain to do, thus the need for specific reading skills teaching, as well as positive reading experiences. When kids don’t develop as easily as they see others do, they often turn that inward, seeing themselves as less-than, rather than recognizing that many components need to be in place to develop as a reader and that we inherently develop at different speeds. And we can try to speak this out of existence, but we all know that ultimately the deeper realization needs to come from the child themselves.

Adding these ideas into the reading conferring that hopefully is happening provides us with an opportunity to dig deeper into how kids view themselves as readers, and the next steps they can take in their journey. So it is not that it is one more thing to do, but rather a new lens and line of questioning we can explore with those kiddos who despite all our attempts still hate reading.

I use a lot of surveys with kids in order to see how they view themselves as readers. My beginning of the year one – which can be used any time – can be accessed here  but sometimes a quick survey like this one can also be a great way to check in and deepen conversations.

I would love to know your thoughts on this. Do we even have time for this? How do we make the time? What are the conversations we can have with kids that help them take over the ownership of their reading development?