Exploring Sensitive Issues With Pre-K

Summary: In this article the author talks about “Exploring Sensitive Issues with Pre-K through First Grade Children through Read-Alouds.” Some tender topics that teachers may face while teaching could be family diversity, homelessness, disabilities, and incarceration. Those four topics can be very difficult for teachers to explain or discuss with young children. Teachers and family members have all noticed what makes discussing tender topics so difficult. It is who people are as individuals or what they are currently experiencing at home. Tender topics should be treated as day to day things not as problems or issues in life. Bibliotherapy is a method that is used to help young children understand tender topics. Another method that is also being …show more content…
For example, should the teacher ask the parents first or will the read-aloud be for everyone or directed more to one child. A very important thing discussed in the article was the importance of evaluating the book carefully. Some things to keep in mind while choosing a book were, is the problem in the book solved realistically, will the class be able to discuss the reading, is the author positive or negative when describing some characters, and is the book eye-catching. Read-alouds about tender topics should be applied to their everyday readings at school to help them understand better what they could face in real life. The article gives a couple of examples of books that could be used in class to help children understand some tender topics. A book that could be used to help children understand divorce could be The Family Book, by Todd Parr or Daddy Bear’s Divorce, by Cornelia Maude Spelman. Cancer is a tender topic that children could face not only with classmates but people they meet outside in their everyday lives. A book to help understand cancer could be Kathy’s Hats: A Story of Hope, by Trudy …show more content…
They always have to maintain a positive outlook on life no matter what a child is going through. I have also learned that teachers have to try their best to be involved with their children’s parents because communication is key. After reading this article I have come to the conclusion that I agree with the statements made. I believe that tender topics should be a part of a daily read-aloud discussions in all schools. Having read-alouds about tender topics will widen the horizon of all children and make them better informed citizens about tender topics. When it comes to tender topics I personally would like to find out how the children personally feel about discussing those situations in class. I also would like to know what parents personally feel or think about those topics being addressed to their children in school. Another thing would be how teachers maintain communication about tender topics with parents without having them mad or upset over a