Bridge Over Troubled Water:Readaxation

with Nicola Morgan

www.nicolamorgan.com

Useful things for youwww.nicolamorgan.com

• My blog this week: resources + links• Free Brain Sane newsletter about

wellbeing, brain, adolescence, stress• My classroom resources

Please help yourself to posters, postcards, dyslexia info and a free book offer

What is Readaxation?

Reading for pleasure – but more deliberately

Reading to relax, as a deliberate strategy for wellbeing and stress management. Relaxation

is not a luxury but is vital for health, performance and quality of life.

Readaxation involves “engagement” or “flow”

How does it improve wellbeing?

(Research sometimes flaky)• Self-esteem; greater life satisfaction• Increased vocab and general knowledge• Increased empathy + self-understanding• Reduced stress – Less strong research, but good arguments and

high likelihood

Why would it reduce stress?

• Readers believe it’s relaxing – my survey• Allows “engagement”, “flow”• Chance to forget worries – a CBT effect• Bibliotherapy – a long history

• Clinical bibliotherapy – self-help and fiction• Developmental bibliotherapy - fiction

– Identification with character => insight + growth

Does it matter what we read?

• No, but yes• Need to have engagement

• But every choice makes a difference to our brain – physically

• Reading changes our brain and so ourselves

• Choices of reading make a difference

The choices

Interesting differences between:• Simple/complex texts• Digital/print– Online: distraction no engagement? – E-readers: if no distraction; if can engage

• Fiction/non-fiction– Empathy; self-knowledge + emotional areas– Narrative transportation -> engagement

How do we make it happen?

• Victor Nell (1988) The psychology of reading for pleasure: Needs and gratifications. “Unless people experience reading as a pleasurable activity, they will stop reading and choose more enjoyable alternatives.”

Nell’s “Motivational Flowchart”

If Adequate skills + Correct book selection + Expectation of benefit => Will try pleasure reading If physiological + cognitive benefits ensue: more pleasure reading. If not, other activity.

Properly value it

Make time for it

Readaxation is important because

• Relaxation is not a luxury but necessary for health and wellbeing

• Reading for pleasure is a perfect relaxation strategy

• Readaxation is not the only way to relax but has many added benefits

CAUTION:Children who read a

lot risk becoming independent, open-

minded, questioning, knowledgeable and

CONFIDENT