Bringing Books to Life Shared Reading NSW – Vision Australia
‘Reading for Wellbeing’
Telelink
Project Report 2012 – 2013
‘I can no longer see to read and I really miss it.
If somebody could just read with me like this for
one hour each day then I would be very
happy.’
Shared Reading Telelink participant
i Bringing Books to Life For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
(From ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’ by William Wordsworth)
ii Bringing Books to Life Summary
Shared Reading, as a concept is both brand new and ancient. The
power of books and words to be involved in the wellbeing and
regeneration of people has historical precedents dating back to
Ancient Greece. Apollo was god of both medicine and poetry, with
the implication that they share an indivorceable association.
Aristotle introduced the notion of Catharsis – of purging oneself of fear
and anxiety through the action of drama and poetry; and many writers
and readers throughout the ages have waxed lyrical about the effect
of Literature to provide points of connection, assuage loneliness and
give us a vocabulary with which to articulate our joy and sorrow. As C.
S. Lewis said ‘we read to know that we are not alone.’ And anybody
that reads will tell of the benefits that they personally derive from it.
For some however the reading life is prematurely or unfairly curtailed. It
may be as early as their school days, that due to slower development,
lack of perceived relevance of Literature being read or a fear of
appearing stupid, people switch off or disengage from reading – the
demons so tightly bound into the very fabric of books that adult life is
navigated in relative illiteracy.
For others, some chance occurrence – an illness, injury or chronic
condition prevents their access to Literature, the motivation to read a
casualty of circumstance as priorities commensurate with survival
supersede it.
It is to the latter that this report turns its attention. For the participants of
Vision Australia’s (VA) Telelink program, their weekly activities represent
a lifeline. Connecting people across Australia (some in remote regions)
via telephone interest groups, VA groups are able to moderate the
effects of isolation that can be so prevalent for people living with visual
impairment.
VA’s Telelink program was an ideal experiment to test the effects of
Shared Reading on a population at risk of social isolation (with some
housebound). A three-week pilot project was set up as a special
interest program for participants with the aim of facilitating their access
to Literature and providing a gateway to the range of benefits that this
offers.
As will be apparent throughout the report and in the final conclusion,
Shared Reading exceeded expectations. Two more projects were
organized for the Telelink special interest program following a
successful pilot, with participants reporting: a feeling that they gained
iii Bringing Books to Life something back that had been lost, a greater sense of purpose,
improvements in memory and mental stimulation, a sense of
meaningful connection, greater relaxation and a new or renewed
appreciation for Literature, along with increased motivation to seek out
assistive technologies in order to incorporate reading into their lives.
The following report looks at the process of Shared Reading as a
Telelink project, its specific aims and objectives, its findings and the
challenges with running groups of this type.
It is intended as both a validation of the efficacy of providing Shared
Reading groups to population at risk of isolation and as a guide for the
development of future projects of a similar nature.
As project manager and facilitator of this particular Shared Reading
project, all that remains for me to say is how enjoyable – on a personal
level – I found the experience. The discussions added new dimensions
to Literature that I thought I new well and the stories shared with
participants contributed to a special sense of community within each
group and I would like to thank all of the participants for their
contributions to making the group a success.
Best Wishes
Christopher Smith
Project Manager
Shared Reading NSW
iv Bringing Books to Life Introduction
Shared Reading NSW
Shared Reading NSW is an organisation that aims to develop
community and enhance individual well being through the provision of
literature based interventions collectively known as Shared Reading.
Shared Reading is a unique social activity that aims to make Literature
accessible for people regardless of their level of literacy; confidence
with reading; background; age; level of Health or social
circumstances.
In Shared Reading sessions people are encouraged to examine their
responses to a piece of Literature as it is read aloud in a group; and– at
their own pace – to share the thoughts, feelings and experiences that
the text stimulates. As discussions develop, points of connection
emerge between the perspectives of the individuals, which in turn build
layers of meaning for the text that have real significance to the lives of
the participants.
Vision Australia
Vision Australia is a partnership between people who are blind, sighted
or have low vision. We are united by our passion that people who are
blind or have low vision will have access to and fully participate in
every part of life they choose.
Vision Australia will achieve this through creating a community
partnership of knowledge, skills and expertise to enrich the
participation in life of people who are blind or have low vision and their
families. We will ensure that the community recognises their capabilities
and contributions.
About the partnership
Shared Reading was identified as an activity that was consistent with
VA’s mission of providing stimulating and meaningful activities for
people at risk of isolation due to visual impairment. It aligned with VA’s
facilitated program of activities delivered by Tele-link to people across
Australia. Shared Reading NSW then created a specialized Shared
Reading project for Tele-link delivery as part an extra-curricula special
interest program. The project was named ‘Reading for Wellbeing’
v Bringing Books to Life Project Aims and Objectives
The ‘Reading for Wellbeing’ project was developed with the following
main objectives in mind:
Overall aim To improve the
wellbeing of
visually
impaired
people at risk
of isolation.
Specific aims •
•
•
•
•
To explore whether Shared
Reading is an appropriate
activity for a Tele-link group.
To provide a stimulating,
interesting activity facilitating
social interaction between
participants.
For participants to
discover/rediscover reading
Literature.
To Measure what impact Shared
Reading has on the wellbeing of
people at risk of isolation due to
visual impairment.
To encourage participants to
seek other support/services that
aid learning, community
participation and/or wellbeing.
Objective To provide Shared Reading activities for a specialized Tele-link program
for people at risk of isolation due to visual impairment.
vi Bringing Books to Life Timeline
The project was initiated with a pilot phase of four weeks from Jan –
Feb 2012, the success of which lead to two further special interest
Reading for Wellbeing courses in Jan 2013 and July 2013.
Evaluation process
The project was monitored by using a tri-evaluative framework
consisting of feedback from:
•
•
•
The Tele-link project coordinator at VA
Group participants for each separate project
The Shared Reading Facilitator
The participants
Participants were sourced from members attending existing VA Tele-link
activity groups such as Music Appreciation and Current Affairs.
vii Bringing Books to Life Meeting the project aims
Delivering Shared Reading activities
Why have Shared Reading?
Much research has shown that reading has a number of potential
benefits for people. These benefits are often associated with
educational outcomes and professional advancement, with literacy
level being a good indictor of a successful career.
There is now however an increasingly comprehensive body of research
indicating that there are wider benefits that reading – especially
reading ‘Literature’ – may have on people’s psychological, social and
even physical health. Shared Reading activities aim to ensure that
these benefits can be accessed by people regardless of their level of
literacy, confidence with reading, level of health, age or social
circumstances.
What is Shared Reading?
Shared Reading refers to techniques and interventions that aim to
make reading – especially reading Literature – accessible to people
who may face barriers to reading such material. It is usually conducted
in a group setting whereby a piece or pieces of Literature are read out
loud in the group. Sessions are led by a trained facilitator who, at
appropriate times will stop the reading and encourage discussion
amongst participants.
Gradually – guided by the facilitator and as confidence is developed
in the group the participants will begin to share personal thoughts,
feelings and experiences stimulated by the material being read. It is in
light of the insights of the group that the material is understood.
What did Shared Reading offer Vision Australia?
Shared Reading sessions offered VA clients an opportunity to reengage
or engage for the first time with Literary texts that, as a consequence of
chronic visual problems they had lost connection with. Many
participants remarked that as their eyesight had diminished they had
withdrawn from reading. Some of the participants had a real sense
that Shared Reading sessions were ‘giving them something back’.
viii Bringing Books to Life Project Specific Aims
Please see the table below for details of how the Reading for
Wellbeing project faired against its specific aims.
Please note that he system used here is a Green Amber or Red to
denote the relative success for each project aim.
Green = Aim met with no challenges
Amber = Aim met with some challenges
Red = Aim not met
Project Aim
To explore whether
Shared Reading is an
appropriate activity for
a Tele-link group.
Green,
Amber or
Red
Amber
Comments
Challenges encountered here were mainly
technical and logistical in nature. Some
participants experienced static on the line from
time to time which made listening to the story
difficult, also noise in the background in some
instances contributed to some difficulty for
participants in listening to the stories.
It is assumed that whatever the content, owing to
the nature of tele-link groups these challenges
would be encountered.
Participants also remarked that a system of
enabling them to hear who was talking (by people
saying their name before commenting) would have
been useful to know who was saying what – this will
be incorporated into facilitators practice for future
tele-link groups.
Overall the tele-link format worked very well for
Shared Reading. Participants commented that ‘you
got a sense that everyone was connected
because they were listening to the story’.
Participants also enjoyed the opportunity to get to
know other participants.
To provide a
stimulating, interesting
activity facilitating
social interaction
between participants.
Green
Participants across all three separate courses
remarked that one of the best aspects of Shared
Reading was listening to each other’s points of
view. Participants remarked that sharing stories
really added to the overall experience.
Lots of rich themes were brought up in discussion,
such as:
Tolerance, differences between generations,
personal choices VS circumstance, how much you
ix Bringing Books to Life should listen to others, concentrating on the
present, the ways people show love, the types of
love, adapting to change, loneliness and fear,
money worries, selfishness, greed, human nature
and happiness.
Many participants remarked that in their day to day
life they never get the chance to discuss such
things and that they really liked getting to the heart
of a story or poem.
‘It felt as though everyone was interested in the
project and had things to say’.
Group participant
For participants to
discover/rediscover
reading Literature.
Green
Participants were often surprised by the stories and
poems read in the group. The short story form
worked well and there was a real sense of
satisfaction in the group upon finishing a story each
week. ‘I really like to get the end of a story, I can’t
be left hanging all week, wondering what will
happen’.
Also the session reintroduced some participants to
the short story as a reading choice:
‘I never used to read short stories, I always hated
them, and these sessions have made me love
them’.
‘Whenever I read short stories before I always found
a sort of darkness in them, but the stories we have
read have not had that, they have been positive’.
Participants were often keen to know more about
the authors and remarked that they would get
books from the library service offered.
To Measure what
impact Shared Reading
has on the wellbeing of
people at risk of
isolation due to visual
impairment.
Green
Throughout the sessions, many of the participants
talked about what they had lost both in the process
of ageing and since experiencing loss of vision. The
discussion was sometimes focused around things
that people had formerly taken for granted such as
reading, or looking at flowers. One participant
remarked at the sadness they felt at no longer
being able to see their partner.
Although this was only a small part of the multitude
of discussion points throughout the project, it
seemed very important as a group to provide each
other support around their visual impairment and
was an element of connection that they all shared:
x Bringing Books to Life ‘It is nice to know your not the only one going
through this, not the only one missing things.’
Group participant
Similarly the group gave examples of how they
were able to transcend their circumstances and felt
a lot of pride in things like ‘maintaining
independence. Being able to attend activities and
focused a lot on how lucky they were that other
faculties were still present (i.e. mental and physical
capability).
Participants agreed that Shared Reading had given
them something that they seemed to be missing.
One participant remarked that the sessions
stimulated memories:
“I used to live on a farm, when we read that story
(pennies in the dust by Ernest Buckler), I was right
back there, in the dust, with the animals, I could
really picture it all.’
One participant also said that she could see in
pictures what was being described.
Another participant suggested that the sessions
had given her an added purpose “I wasn’t feeling
very good earlier, I have had a bit of a cold and
have stayed in bed but I wouldn’t miss the group,
The session is relaxing and you feel like you are
involved even if you are not talking’.
Other participants said that it stimulated the brain ‘I
love these session, they always get you thinking, it is
really good for the grey matter’
Social interaction was also seen as a key aspect of
the group, with participants remarking how the
sessions encouraged communication and learning
about each other.
‘I don’t get out much anymore, so I really like the
contact with other people. It feels like you really get
to know people in the group.’
Group participant
In conclusion Shared Reading seemed to have a
big impact on the wellbeing of participants –
allowing them respite from isolation, giving them
purpose, aiding relaxation, offering support and
solidarity for difficulties, allowing them to slow down,
concentrating on positive factors in their life and
having fun and enjoyment.
xi Bringing Books to Life To encourage
participants to seek
other support/services
that aid learning,
community
participation and/or
wellbeing.
xii Green
Shared Reading sessions aroused an interest in
participants to use adaptive technology and to
make use of the Vision Australia Library
‘Participants found it to be inspiring and
encouraged them to seek further exploration of
their interests.’
VA Project Manager
Bringing Books to Life Beyond the Project Aims
Certain effects that Shared Reading had on participants were not
anticipated prior and so did not form part of the projects aims. Some of
these effects are presented below:
It Raised awareness of different perspectives
Many times when discussing material people would change their views
throughout the session. As more about the characters or situations
became known and the richer the discussion became, the more
motivations, influences and consequences could be explored. For
instance, when discussing the curmudgeonly behaviour of a
grandfather towards his granddaughter (in Doris Lessing’s Flight), most
of the group suggested that he was a bitter, jealous old man. As more
became known about his feelings and his past however a more
sympathetic reading emerged.
Such softening of perspective to characters was often then translated
to people in participant’s own lives – they were able to see the
behaviour of friends and family from different perspectives and with
different eyes.
One participant remarked that they felt that they did not receive
much affection from their family but after reading the poem ‘those
winter Sundays’ by Robert Hayden said that they always knew they
were loved because there was food on the table and a warm bed to
sleep in.
Different approaches to raising children were also explored in the short
story Welding with Children by Tim Gautreaux. Participants discussed
their perceived successes and failures before concluding that
parenting is a succession of doing the things ‘that you think are right in
the situation’ and ‘using your judgment, which is sometimes good and
sometimes bad.’
Gaining new perspectives seemed to equip participants in the group
with new tools for dealing with situations. In one session after reading
Leisure by WH Davies, participants discussed how the poem seemed to
be telling you to slow down. This was something that the group related
to, acknowledging that it was important to take time to do things for
themselves. They also stated that their attendance in this group was
important for them.
Gave people a space to share their sorrows and happiness
Some of the issues, characters, situations or words referred to in the
material read caused some strong emotions amongst participants.
Often participants would talk about a sense of grief or loss about a
xiii Bringing Books to Life particular person or event in their life, as well as moments of joy or
funny stories from their experience.
The support of the group members and the relaxed, informal nature of
participation seemed to contribute to members feeling comfortable
enough to willingly share these experiences with each other.
Sometimes participants were going through similar experiences and
could support each other or give each other strategies on how they
coped. For instance when discussing the theme of isolation (a recurrent
theme in groups) participants often remarked on how they overcame
the barrier of vision loss and associated low mood:
‘I make myself go out, even if I don’t want to because I always feel
better after I have been out.’
The time and space to reflect on aspects of each other’s lives gave the
participants a sense of community and developed a way for them to
understand some potentially inaccessible material. For instance when
reading the poem The Self-Unseeing by Thomas Hardy, the initial
response from the group was silence, until someone stated that the
poem made them feel that ‘time was passing’ and that often things
are remembered ‘in a better way than they appear at the time’. This
lead to discussions about living in the moment, not having regrets and
cherishing the important things in life which made one participant
remark ‘I had no idea what the poem was on about at the start, and
now I understand.’
The very act of reading and discussing the emotions contained in the
poem and what emotions this elicited in the participants enabled them
– together – to form a deep understanding of a very difficult piece of
poetry.
xiv Bringing Books to Life Challenges
As with the set up of any project the ‘Reading for Wellbeing’ initiative
had its fair share of challenges and potential for improvement:
Facilitating tele-link groups
When evaluating the project group participants suggested that it was
sometimes difficult to work out who was talking, it was felt that the
facilitator could have asked at the beginning of each session that
people state their name prior to making a comment so that it would be
easier to understand who said what, and where remarks were coming
from.
Interference
Participants generally understood that no technology is ever perfect
and there were instances where static was affecting their experience
in groups – however this was very rare.
More obvious were instances where there might be a radio or television
on in the background of somebodies house that would be a distracting
influence – it was felt that a criteria of no background noise could be
applied to people wishing to take part owing to the fragile nature of
the listening process.
Overall the nature of the challenges faced were deemed able to be
met with modest adaptations to the process of running groups and
only very minimally affected participants enjoyment of sessions.
Not having the material to read
Usually in Shared Reading sessions, participants are given a copy of the
text to follow (if they wish) as the material is read. Owing to the fact
that this was a teleconference group and the participants’ visual
impairment, this was not possible. This meant that it was not always
easy to refer discussions back to the text. It did not cause so much of a
problem as participants’ remarked that they enjoyed that state of
concentration that they got into.
In future sessions if it is appropriate and useful perhaps VA’s assistive
technology program could be utilized in a way that provides people
with options for following the text if they wish.
xv Bringing Books to Life Conclusion
Overall Shared Reading proved to be a great success for Vision
Australia’s Telelink special interest program. The participants found a
variety of benefits and requested on numerous occasions that sessions
form a part of the ongoing curriculum that is offered by VA’s Telelink
project.
Participants experienced a whole range of different emotions and
shared with each other myriad reposes to the literature that they found
at turns stimulating, exciting, relaxing, life affirming, sorrowful, dark,
inspiring and above all interesting.
Having conducted Shared Reading groups in both the UK and
Australia, it is the opinion of the facilitator that Shared Reading is an
extremely useful tool against the risk factors associated with isolation an
social exclusion.
Building community over stimulating texts offers an outlet for people to
learn, share creative ideas, release tension and pain, develop
friendships and ask questions about life that is very difficult to replicate
with other activities.
These sessions have proven that even people who have no previously
stated interest in reading literature will find some value in attending
groups that build cooperation, raise self-esteem and generally improve
wellbeing of participants.
xvi Bringing Books to Life Index – List of works read
Short Stories
The Evolution of Knowledge – Niccolo Tucci
Welding with Children – Tim Gautreaux
Powder – Tobias Wolfe
Tea with the birds – Joanna Harris
Through the tunnel – Doris Lessing
Flight – Doris Lessing
Pennies in the Dust – Ernest Buckler
All the years of her life – Morley Callaghan
The lottery ticket – Anton Chekhov
A pair of silk stockings – Katherine Chopin
Poems
The self-unseeing – Thomas Hardy
Leisure – W H Davies
xvii