Theory underpinning Literature for Life
Literature for Life was developed using Gardener’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences and Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. The program integrates J W Worden’s “Tasks of Grief” as the model for processing the effects of significant change and loss, believing grief to be a cyclical rather than linear journey. It positions change and loss as natural and important parts of life. The program draws heavily on strengths-based and cognitive behaviour theories to promote individual resilience and learning.
Rich Tasks (Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences)
- Linguistics: reading, writing, speaking and listening
- Interpersonal: cooperative group work, exploring social and relational issues
- Intrapersonal: empathising with characters, reflecting on their situations and generating advice
- Spatial: making concept maps, using metaphors and images to analyse stories
- Bodily Kinaesthetic: enacting situations and emotions
- Logical / Mathematical: creating linear flows or cause and effect, breaking down tasks and assembling individual presentations into a whole
Deep Thinking (Bloom’s Taxonomy of Thinking Tasks)
Cognitive:
- Knowledge: describing characters
- Comprehension: summarising key aspects of a story and identifying significant events
- Application: comparing challenges faced by characters to those faced in everyday life
- Analysis: comparing characters’ reactions and identifying key emotions
- Synthesis: showing how challenges addressed by characters are also found in real life
- Evaluation: composing advice to assist a character in dealing with a specific predicament
Affective
- Receiving phenomena: listening to others’ views in discussion and participating in group activities
- Responding to phenomena: contributing views in discussion and participating in group discussion
- Valuing: choosing (with others) ideas to use, negotiating over differences and organising to share responsibility
- Organisation: managing an individual work plan as well as group tasks
- Internalising values: questioning why a character reacts in certain ways and considering responses that would be effective and ethical