Through reading books, we learn about other people’s experiences, challenges, and feelings in a fun and entertaining way.

In my anti-bullying classes, I use books and poems to teach children different ways to deal with bullying.

The Respect Program gives children a chance to talk about how characters in a story or poem react to bullies. It begs the question, “Could their approach to bullies work for me?”

There is nothing better than seeing a child’s eyes light up when they learn a new strategy from a story about how to be assertive without being mean. This not only helps a child who is being bullied, but also helps a child think about healthy ways to express their anger so they do not bully others.