Promoting Empathy Through Reading How do readers develop empathy for a character as they read? When readers are moved by a story, they may find themselves “hooked” into a book’s character. Without necessarily even noticing, the reader may begin to imagine what it might be like to be that character, and to compare that character’s reactions to how the reader may have reacted to situations in the past, or may react to situations in the future. As readers learn more about characters in books, they are also learning more about themselves as well, including how to handle challenging feelings (Sheldon-Dean, 2023). By prompting students to think about the characters or subjects of the books they read, they can build emotional awareness and empathy. Comments and questions like “Imagine how this person feels,” or “What do you think this experience feels like?” draw students away from only thinking about themselves. Instead, these comments and questions challenge students to “insert themselves into a different world and consider a different point of view” (Scholastic Parents, 2022).
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A GUIDE BY DR. M. ANN LEVETT
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