First Steps Towards Empathy

I’m Okay If You’re Okay. Teaching empathy to first graders. 

Empathizing with others is a developmental step for first graders. It means that they are thinking about how another person feels, rather than how they themselves are feeling. 

1. Cues. People show their emotions using their faces and bodies. Point out to your child the characteristics of anger, pain, happiness, and sadness. Explain why the person might be feeling this way – “Nathan is crying because he hit his knee.” Talk about how tone of voice can illustrate emotions. 
2. Examples. Use books, posters, photographs, and television shows (with the volume turned down) to illustrate different emotions and body language.
3. Puppets. Glove puppets or toy animals work well for acting out scenes. Use different tones and volumes to show how one animal might be fearful, sad, or angry.
4. Role-play. Ask your child how they might react in different situations. “How would your face look if another child splashed you with water?” “What would your expression be if you won a spelling prize in class?” “How would you react if a lion roared at you?”
5. Feelings fade. Although a child’s feelings may be intense, they often change soon. Help your child to recognize that their emotions are not fixed. “I know that your basketball team lost today, Layla, which is why you’re upset. But if you feel better later, we can shoot hoops together outside.”
6. Feelings vary. Some people love rollercoasters, others hate them. Explain to your child that people often respond to the same thing in very different ways.  

Although practicing with puppets is great, there’s no better way to teach than to display appropriate empathy responses in front of your child.