For the month of January, Mr. Bender selected the powerful quote above, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

Each classroom has had 3 experiences around this quote and we’d love for the conversation to continue at home.

Below are some resources about empathy – what it is, why it’s important, and how to build it:

Videos

“Sesame Street: What is Empathy?

NYC Students: What is Empathy?

Articles

Ages and Stages of Empathy from Scholastic (Pre-k through 2nd grade)

5 Ways to Raise Empathetic Children

Activities to Build Empathy

• This example of building empathy with literal shoes is pretty great, but if you can’t get your hands on a lot of shoes, you could always discuss scenarios like these from the Empathy Game .
• Reading picture books is a great way to start conversations around empathy. There are tons of amazing books out there but here are some to start with.
• When reading with your child at home, you can pause and have them put themselves in different characters’ shoes and ask them questions – How would they feel? What would they do?