Episcopal Knightly News

  EPISCOPAL
  • Home
  • Blog and news
  • About us
    • Who We Are
    • Episcopal Identity
    • Leadership and Governance
    • Employment Opportunities
  • Our Program
    • Academics
    • Athletics
    • Arts
    • Spirituality
    • College Counseling
    • Student Support Services
  • Admission
    • Welcome to Admission
    • Affording Episcopal
    • Dates & Deadlines
    • Visit Episcopal
  • Giving
    • Spirit Mind Body Campaign
    • Quest Center
    • The eFund >
      • 2019-20 Donor List
    • Tributes and Memorials
    • Give Online
    • Development Team
  • Camps
    • Sports Camps
    • Summer Arts and Recreational
  • e-Resources
    • Student Resources
    • Parent Resources
    • Teacher Resources
    • Library Resources
  • Reopening Plans
  • School Store
  • Alumni
  • Parents' Guild
  • Squires
  • LAUNCH
  • Lunch Menu
  • Contact

Children Lacking Empathy? Study Shows Reading May Help

12/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
A google search of the word “empathy” reveals over a billion results.  The term, which means the ability to understand and share the feelings of another, has become somewhat of a buzzword.  Research by one of Episcopal’s own has shown that the concept is much more than just noise.
​

Martha Guarisco, a sixth grade English teacher with a love for young adult fiction, didn’t set out to study empathy and how a book can help foster it.  It was a passion for a transformative book and being at the right place at the right time that led to a two year study with the results eventually being published in three journals and cited by many others.  

In 2014 Martha attended a Youth Adult Literacy Conference where she participated in a break out session on how the Harry Potter series has boosted empathy among young adult readers (Harry Potter is another of Martha’s loves).  Afterwards, she approached the guest speaker – Dr. Louise Freeman – to discuss how Martha could replicate empathy research involving a study of the novel “Wonder” by Raquel J. Palacio.  That conversation sparked a study that has yielded insightful results.

Dr. Freeman advised Martha on how to measure the students’ empathy in the areas of perspective taking, emotional transport and theory of mind.  Martha was amazed to discover that many of the psychological concepts correlated with common educational terms.  For example, perspective taking translates to point of view in literature.  Psychologists refer to a person’s tendency to transport into a fictional world as the Fantasy Scale.  In English class this would be considered the reader’s engagement with the story.  The psychological term “sleeper effect”, meaning it takes time for something to happen, might be called deep learning in education. Making these connections helped Martha realize that empathy is taught in the classroom without teachers even realizing it.
Picture
For the study, students took part in scenario tests and self-reporting on how a situation made them feel.  They also took the eye test in which they were asked to look at someone’s eyes and guess how that person felt at the time.  After the initial testing was complete, the students read the book “Wonder”.  Martha taught the book as she would any other, including art projects for visualizing aspects of the book and even bringing in school counselor Alicia Kelly to discuss empathy in more detail.  Afterwards students repeated the tests to compare the impact.
Picture
Martha says the results were exciting.  After studying the novel students were shown to have positive changes in regards to perspective taking. This means students were better able to understand someone else’s perspective simply by reading a novel. With such success after the first year Martha conducted the same research a second year with a few changes.  She allowed students to choose between Palacio’s “Wonder” and “Crossover” by Kwame Alexander.  She also allowed some students to read the novels on an electronic reader while others read traditional books.  

Picture
The second year results were equally as enlightening.  Again the students showed marked increases in perspective taking and thus, empathy.  But what Martha found even more interesting was that while both boys and girls were excited to read the books electronically, the results showed their overall comprehension decreased and there was less empathetic growth.  

As an English teacher and parent all of this resonates with Martha on several levels.  She says the experience confirms the significant responsibility adults have not only in suggesting books for young readers, but also in recommending reading formats.  She says the research has certainly made her more cognizant in choosing books for her classroom library.  She is sensitive to the fact that every child needs to see a positive reflection of themselves in a book, but that they also need to see a wide range of people different from themselves.  Thoughtfully selecting these books allows students to have more intentional conversations about issues such as race, class and gender.

How do we keep this focus on empathy so that it’s not just a passing fad or buzzword? Martha says the English teacher inside her says keep reading!  She says exposure to great stories and experiences will create an awareness of the world’s diversity and the variety of perspectives that exist.  

Episcopal educators are doing amazing things inside and outside of the classroom.  Martha’s research is just one example of the expertise these professionals provide.  Check out Martha’s research here.  

​Looking for additional reads to encourage empathy?  Here are a few of Martha’s suggestions:
  • “Out of My Mind” by Sharon Draper
  • “El Deafo” by Cece Bell
  • “Inside Out & Back Again” by Thanhha Lai
  • “A Little Piece of Ground” by Elizabeth Laird

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.


    Follow @EpiscopalBR

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Admission
    Athletics
    College Bound 2017
    College Bound 2018
    College Bound 2019
    College Bound 2020
    College Bound 2021
    Counselors Corner
    Diversity
    Episcopal Alumni
    From The Library
    Giving
    Head Of School Messages
    Lower School
    Middle School
    Project Based Education
    Science
    Spirituality And Service
    Sports
    Student Work
    Technology
    The Teachers' Lounge
    Upper School
    Visual And Performing Art

    Tour our Campus

    Subscribe to our mailing list

    * indicates required
    Email Format

    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015

About Episcopal

Head of School Corner
Who We Are
​
Episcopal Identity

Our Program

Academics
Lower School
​
Middle School
​
Upper School
​
College Counseling 
Athletics
Visual & Performing Arts

Admission

Admission Team
​Dates and Deadlines
​Affording Episcopal
​
Visit Episcopal
​Online Payment Portal

Resources
Employment Opportunities
​​
Employee Portal 

Giving Opportunities 

Giving
The Capital Campaign
The e Fund
Legacy Giving
Tributes and Memorials
Give Online 
Development Team

Explore
Blogs and News
Alumni Affairs
Parents Guild

Contact

Episcopal School of Baton Rouge
3200 Woodland Ridge Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70816
Phone: 225.753.3180
​
communications@ehsbr.org

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required
Email Format
Photos used under Creative Commons from Ben Taylor55, EpicTop10.com, EpicTop10.com
  • Home
  • Blog and news
  • About us
    • Who We Are
    • Episcopal Identity
    • Leadership and Governance
    • Employment Opportunities
  • Our Program
    • Academics
    • Athletics
    • Arts
    • Spirituality
    • College Counseling
    • Student Support Services
  • Admission
    • Welcome to Admission
    • Affording Episcopal
    • Dates & Deadlines
    • Visit Episcopal
  • Giving
    • Spirit Mind Body Campaign
    • Quest Center
    • The eFund >
      • 2019-20 Donor List
    • Tributes and Memorials
    • Give Online
    • Development Team
  • Camps
    • Sports Camps
    • Summer Arts and Recreational
  • e-Resources
    • Student Resources
    • Parent Resources
    • Teacher Resources
    • Library Resources
  • Reopening Plans
  • School Store
  • Alumni
  • Parents' Guild
  • Squires
  • LAUNCH
  • Lunch Menu
  • Contact