Processing Through Symbols

We've been experimenting with using symbols to help process our reading. In our book groups, we read a chapter at a time and then work to develop a symbol that represents the essence of the character's experience in that chapter. I'm finding the needing to create a symbol brings new discussion to the groups. They talk longer and in more depth than they did before we started recording our thinking in this way. Here are a few examples from our reading today.

 

 In the book The Jade Dragon, the main character Ginny finally connects with Stephanie when the two confide the struggles and secret wishes of their hearts. Ginny has been wanting to be best friends with Stephanie for a while, but has been hunting for common ground. It was this opening up and being vulnerable that finally connected the two. Each was feeling like a fish out of water, feeling different from the children around them. Only when they had the courage to confide, did the two make a meaningful connection.

Ginny had tried for so long before this. What was it that had finally connected the girls?  This is a symbol the children created. They realized that sharing the secrets was what welded Ginny and Stephanie together.



In the book Lily's Crossing, Lily is going through a lot of challenges. Her father went to war, her best friend moved, she has developed a habit of telling little white lies to get attention. In the chapter the children read today, Lily was processing all of her difficult feelings.

This is the symbol some of them created. It is Lily pulling a wagon full of heavy boxes. The boxes represent all of the emotional situation in her life. Up to this point, Lily was managing to pull the wagon. In this chapter, the wagon stops suddenly and all of the boxes come tumbling down. Lily can ignore them no longer and must face her emotions.

In Drita My Homegirl, Maxie is dealing with the loss of her mother to a car accident. Her dad is finally ready to start dating again which stirs up all kinds of emotions within Maxie.

The symbols created by the group are a volcano to represent when Maxie was letting her emotions out in harmful ways by being mean, fighting with her family, being rude to her dad's girlfriend and repeatedly getting into trouble at school.

In a later chapter, Maxie is finally ready to be honest with her father. They have an important conversation about all that they are both feeling. The children represented this chapter with a calm waterfall to show that Maxie is now releasing her emotions in a productive and less harmful way.


Using symbols to represent our reading is something I'm going to stick with. The level of sophistication and collaboration I've seen and heard is deepening.  The children sketch and talk and suggest modifications they feel would more accurately portray the emotional journey of their characters. They are also more eager to participate in the group conversations because they are proud of their symbols and anxious to tell others about their representations. Yay!!!