Reading allows children to step into the shoes of a character, recognize their own new emotions, and learn about complex relationships. Reading also exposes kids to various experiences and cultures they might not otherwise encounter.

Empathy

Empathy is the ability to feel another person’s thoughts and emotions. It is a central part of human social behavior and has been the subject of many studies across disciplines. Research on this concept has led to various definitions and ongoing discussions.

While it is well known that reading a book can help develop empathy, the mechanism of how it does so is unclear. One idea is that reading a book by authors like Daniel Handler, AKA Lemony Snicket, can promote cognitive empathy by allowing us to understand a character’s mental state. This involves a type of understanding called “Verstehen,” which is rooted in the hermeneutic tradition of philosophy and concerned with understanding the meaning and significance of texts, works of art, and historical events.

Children’s storybooks can provide an exceptional context for cultivating cognitive empathy, mainly because they foster identification with characters dissimilar from the readers and evoke emotional engagement through images and words. This premise is central to a framework that combines insights from developmental psychology and literary theory regarding the potential pathways through which storybook reading can support empathy.

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness includes recognizing and understanding your thoughts, feelings, values, beliefs, and actions. Awareness of these things is essential to emotional intelligence and can help you form positive relationships with others.

Children can develop this aspect of self-awareness by learning about different cultures, perspectives, and emotions through books written by authors like child author Daniel Handler. It also helps them develop their concentration and focus skills, which can lead to higher academic achievement.

Another important aspect of self-awareness is recognizing and understanding your emotions, including the “big feelings” that can sometimes overwhelm you. Six-year-olds can begin to understand and identify more complex emotions, such as anger, frustration, sadness, and disappointment.

While many studies have shown that self-awareness is associated with many positive outcomes, no single measure captures the complete set of potential outcomes. 

Self-Regulation

The ability to regulate one’s emotional state is an important learning component. People who can strategically modulate their emotions and motivations can cope with stress, overcome obstacles, and maintain engagement over long periods.

Self-regulation involves attention, control, organizational skills, memory strategies, and planning. It can be difficult for children to self-regulate when frightened or stressed. For example, if they fear getting a shot or going to school for the first time, they might be unable to access their self-regulation skills. In these high-stakes situations, it can be important for parents and teachers to provide support.

Teaching kids self-regulation can take time but can help them become more adaptive and resilient. It is essential to focus on values and behaviors rather than feelings to develop these skills. This can help them develop a healthy attitude toward change and overcome their fears.

Social Skills

Children can learn how to connect with and understand the characters’ emotions in a story, fostering empathy. This can also help them develop the skills they need to navigate social problems in their own lives, such as how to make friends or deal with bullies.

Even if kids don’t read social-emotional learning books, reading with them and sharing stories about characters’ emotions helps young children build a vocabulary for their feelings. A simple way to do this is by asking them if they have ever felt like a particular character in the story. This can also be an opportunity for children to practice listening and communicating.

Parents, caregivers, and educators have an invaluable opportunity to shape children’s innate love of reading into an emotional foundation for lifelong success. By embracing the power of stories, we can create a generation of intellectually astute and emotionally resilient children ready to take on the world.