Once upon a time @BarkingCollege
Barking & Dagenham College has launched a new reading group, after realising the effects the pandemic has had on mental health.
The ‘Lit Squad Reading Group’ will meet weekly to allow participants to develop an appreciation for reading and to join in discussions with other readers over a range of books.
The launch follows numerous pieces of research showing the benefits of reading on mental health. Reading for as little as six minutes a day can improve not only quality of sleep but also help reduce stress and improve mental acuity* It has also been found to help people cope with difficult times, prevent memory loss, build empathy and cope with depression.
As Kate Rossiter, Curriculum Manager for Entry to Higher Education at Barking & Dagenham College explains: “We wanted to set up a group to make use of all the mental health benefits reading can provide and to also re-build some of the things that have been lost or missed out on during the pandemic, such as the ability to socialise with others. This new group is combining it all. It’s going to give people a chance to explore in depth a whole range of books and it’s going to provide an opportunity to meet new people.”
As part of the course, participants will learn how to interpret and offer a personal response to books. It will also help develop the group’s confidence in speaking and listening skills and deepen the group’s understanding of content, plot, narrative and a range of literary devices used in fiction.
Kate continues: “So many people love reading but may not have previously thought about the aspects that make up the book, such as imagery, symbolism, satire, metaphors or points of view. Each of these things help bring a book to life and makes each so unique. I really am looking forward to hearing what our group has to say about the books and I’m hoping lots of people will join us.”
The course is free to join and starts at the end of this month. Open to anyone over the age of 19, the group will study a number of books. These will include titles such as Fresh Ink by Lamar Giles, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evanisto and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.
Responses