E is for EMPATHY.
To continue our own growth on empathy as adults, I highly recommend The Miseducation of Empathy by Jonelle Massey. Mrs. Massey explains that the idea of “put yourself in someone else’s shoes” is very challenging for children with limited experiences to pull from. To ask a child to imagine an experience far from their reality is next to impossible. She suggests that we all keep our own shoes on and walk together, side-by-side, learning from one another. I am pretty sure I was nodding my head and saying, “YES,” the entire time I read her book. Mrs. Massey explains that, “Empathy is understanding why a person feels the way they do. Empathy is a learned behavior.” The good news? We can help facilitate this behavior!
Once again, picture books are a wonderful tool to help provide examples and experiences for children in a safe environment. Check out this list of books to help explore empathy. Click here!
Need a little more of a push to check out Jonelle Massey’s book? Check out a blog post I wrote last summer after finishing the book.
#atozchallenge #aprilatozchallenge #blogging #empathy #themiseducationofempathy
Christina Dankert 
Great reading list for children of all ages.
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