This monograph draws on a study titled An investigation of middle primary childrenâs wellbeing using The Reading WELL home reading program. The Reading WELL (Wellbeing Everyday through Learning and Literature) home reading program, study was set within the homes and families of two communities in an urban metropolitan city in Australia and involved 142 parents and children in year 3â4 classrooms.
The monograph outlines the development, implementation and evaluation of The Reading WELL (Wellbeing Everyday through Learning and Literature) a home reading program for children aged 8 to 10 years that aimed to improve child wellbeing through parentâs shared reading and discussion using developmental bibliotherapy. Topics of body image, self-esteem and resilience were explored for opportunities of reading to learn, reading engagement and attainment of eudemonic wellbeing. Key messages to address issues of trauma and wellbeing in childrenâs worlds were also developed providing a theoretical evidence base for the use of literature as an edumaionic tool.
The project collected data through semi structured interviews with parents and participating teachers, as well as child journal entries, completed in the home setting. The Reading WELL journals offered a powerful way to gather accounts written by the participants, creating an impetus to re-construct lived experiences through the development of interpretive texts re-storied using Barkhuizenâs (2008) story, Story and STORY model.
The outcomes illustrated the various elements how literature and reading impacts on a childâs reading engagement and includes discussion of a familyâs cultural literacy, funds of knowledge and parent child relationships. It also indicates that childrenâs interaction with specially selected books can positively impact their wellbeing, identity and self-development.
Divided into three parts the main research foci will address (1) critical pedagogy, (2) language and literacy teaching with an understanding of how critical new literacies relates to the practice of eudaimonic wellbeing which in definition includes living well and fully achieving oneâs potential, and (3) Research literacy using Critical Creative Approaches.