At Edge Grove, as both parents and educators, I know we want our children to grow up caring about the world they live in and demonstrating understanding of people’s lives and experiences that are different from their own. To this end, EmpathyLab, an organisation founded on the scientific research that says empathy is a learnable skill and that reading builds real-life empathy, has published their annual Read for Empathy book collection which is always a highlight of the national literary calendar. This year the collection brings together 60 books for 4-16 year-olds, each one chosen to educate and empower a generation of school children. The primary collection features 35 books for 4-11 year olds and the secondary collection promotes 25 books for children aged 12-16 years. I have included guides for each collection on The Source in reading lists under the Learning tab, and many of the books are included in the schools’ library collections.
Last week, the Federation of Children’s Book Groups interviewed the founder of EmpathyLab, Miranda McKearney. Here is the interview:
Your work is all about building empathy in the younger generation – do you feel there is an empathy deficit in our society right now?
We’re hearing very worrying reports from schools about the effect of lockdowns on children’s social skills – so yes, an empathy deficit in terms of the younger generation being isolated and deprived of the chance to build these crucial skills. And of course, our world sadly suffers from hatred and prejudice – we see empathy education as a vital antidote. In 2022, we want to do all we possibly can at EmpathyLab to surround children with the understanding and feeling of connection that empathy brings, and equip them with the empathy skills they so very much need if they are to learn, to thrive and to contribute to building a kinder and less divided society. Why are books such an important tool for building empathy in children? Scientific research shows that because of the way stories activate so many areas of the brain, reading feels incredibly real, so when we identify with the feelings of book characters we build our real life understanding of other people. Stories are a simulation of the social world, and give children a safe, nourishing space to learn about other people’s lives, feelings and perspectives. The full interview can be found here: https://fcbg.org.uk/qa-with-miranda-mckearney/