Research School Network: Reading for Wellbeing: How Stories can be Effective Pedagogy for Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) Using Stories to Support Wellbeing in Primary

As mental health concerns rise (Children’s Society, 2025) and reading rates fall (DfE, 2022), children need meaningful access to stories that support both literacy and emotional development. Drawing on Olivia Richards’ PhD research and her work with The Story Project, this blog explores why stories are a powerful pedagogical tool in PSHE. The focus on PSHE is intentional: it is within this curriculum area that children learn vital skills for lifelong wellbeing, such as building friendships, maintaining mental health, navigating adolescence, and staying safe online, so effective teaching approaches are crucial. Despite its importance, PSHE is often overlooked and under-researched, so this blog offers a practical, research-informed strategy to support teachers in this vital subject.

Why are stories a great way to explore PSHE?

Stories create a gentle distance between children and sensitive topics, allowing them to learn vicariously through the experiences of a character (Bandura et al., 1963). This removes the pressure for children to talk directly about themselves, something many children, especially the most vulnerable, instinctively avoid. As one teacher recently told us, ​“The children we most want to speak are often the ones who remain closed books.”

Through this vicarious learning, stories become a kind of laboratory space, a safe environment in which children can test out ideas and explore new perspectives (Oatley, 1990). Characters’ experiences allow children to encounter friendship issues, conflict, empathy, and decision-making before they face these challenges in their own lives. This is particularly valuable for children who struggle socially, providing them with structured, low pressure opportunities to practise social thinking. Over time, this helps them build a social schema, a mental blueprint for navigating future interactions. When explicitly taught and supported, this becomes an evidence based way to strengthen social and emotional learning (SEL) (EEF, 2021) which is an important part of PSHE.

Reading and discussing stories also equips children with the language they need to manage their wellbeing and mental health. Children’s vocabulary grows significantly the more they read (Fletcher et al, 2005), and by foregrounding emotional literacy within reading activities, we give them the tools to describe their feelings and communicate their needs with clarity and confidence.

However, while reading a story has many benefits, research shows that simply reading is not enough. Children need stories with relatable characters, paired with carefully structured, reflective discussions. A Community of Practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991) refers to a group of individuals who deepen their understanding by learning together through shared activities and collective dialogue. Creating such a Community of Practice around a story enables children to develop richer insights into wellbeing and to internalise the messages within the narrative. Teachers can support this by preparing thoughtful questions and designing follow up activities that embed and extend learning.

Alongside building a Community of Practice, the choice of story itself is crucial. Rudine Sims Bishop (1990) famously described books as offering windows into other worlds, sliding doors we can step through into the imagination of the author, and mirrors that reflect our own experiences back to us. This description perfectly captures the unique power of stories to support children’s development. A diverse collection of books allows children both to see themselves represented and to develop empathy for others whose lives differ from their own. In this way, stories become not just reading material, but portals to self discovery and to a deeper awareness of the world around them.

Ultimately, stories offer far more than moments of enjoyment or quiet reading time; they are powerful pedagogical tools that support children’s wellbeing, social development, and emotional understanding. When teachers intentionally select meaningful texts and create thoughtful opportunities for discussion, stories become a shared space for reflection, connection, and growth. By integrating these approaches into PSHE, we can help children build the skills, language, and confidence they need to navigate an increasingly complex world with empathy and resilience.

Read part two here for practical ideas to implement ​‘Reading for Wellbeing’ and the impact it can have on young people.

Bandura, A., Ross, D. and Ross, S. (1963) ​‘Vicarious reinforcement and imitative learning’, Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67(6), pp. 601 – 607.

Bishop, R.S. (1990) ​‘Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors’, Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, 6(3).

Department for Education (2022) Key stage 2 attainment: 2021 – 22.
Available at: https://explore-education-stat… (Accessed: 26 February 2026).

Education Endowment Foundation (2021) Improving social and emotional learning in primary schools. Available at: https://d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfr… (Accessed: 26 February 2026).

Fletcher, K.L. and Reese, E. (2005) ​‘Picture book reading with young children: A conceptual framework’, Developmental Review, 25(1), pp. 64 – 103.

Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991) Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Oatley, K. (1999) ​‘Why fiction may be twice as true as fact: Fiction as cognitive and emotional simulation’, Review of General Psychology, 3(2), pp. 101 – 117.

The Children’s Society (2025) GCR2025: Main Report v2.
Available at: https://www.childrenssociety.o… (Accessed: 26 February 2026).