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This website talks about the programs that the district’s school have to offer to families that speak different languages.  They are able to get into contact with agencies that can help with translation services and give them the support that they need while their child is attending school in the district.

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DCPS Speaks Your Language!

Mission

DCPS strives to ensure that all parents are given a meaningful opportunity to participate in their child's education program. DCPS students and their families communicate in over 120 different languages. DCPS has a Language Access Unit to ensure the provision of appropriate translation and interpretation services for limited English proficient (LEP) individuals in accordance with the DC Language Access Act.

Written Translation Services

The Language Access Unit provides written translations of agency-wide documents in Spanish, Amharic, and Chinese. Translations of school-level documents are available in Spanish and any other language spoken by at least 3% of the school population.

Oral Interpretation Services

The Language Access Unit works with contract interpreters and professional DCPS staff to provide real-time, face-to-face communication with families and groups of students or parents to facilitate communication with those who communicate best in a language other than English.

Over-the-phone interpretation services are available to families when communicating with schools or central offices. Telephonic interpretation is available in over 240 languages, through Language Line, a contracted vendor. These services can be accessed by any individual when contacting any DCPS staff member.

The Language Access Unit

The Language Access Unit is responsible for spearheading efforts related to language access at DCPS. The unit:

Provides interpretation and translation services to schools and central office teams;

Oversees and monitors DCPS's provision of language assistance services to LEP parents;

Works closely with schools to ensure that the translation and interpretation services provided by DCPS support the needs of the LEP parent population;

Serves as primary contact for schools and central office teams for ongoing guidance and support with language access services;

Develops and provides language access training for school staff;

Develops and/or provides language access materials to staff and families. Materials include multilingual welcome poster, a Language Identification poster to help determine the language spoken by a parent, sample I Speak Card for parents, and labels for school staff with instructions on how to obtain a telephonic interpreter.

Provides input regarding appropriate budget allocations for translation and interpretation services;

Maintains outside language services vendor contracts.

Parents have the right to receive information or communicate with a staff member at their school in their language. If you or someone you know needs help, tell the school or contact:

Elba García
Executive Director, Language Acquisition Division
[email protected]
(202) 671-0750

Vicki Javier
Language Access Specialist, Language Acquisition Division
[email protected]
(202) 868-6508

Note to DCPS staff: Please visit the Language Access Unit Canvas page for additional information, including details on how to obtain translation and interpretation services. (You can "bookmark" the page to your Canvas Dashboard here for easier future access).

Resource:
Language Access Brochure for Families

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DCPS Speaks Your Language! Mission DCPS strives to ensure that all parents are given a meaningful opportunity to participate in their child's education program. DCPS students and their families communicate in over 120 different languages. DCPS has a Language Access Unit to ensure the provision of appropriate translation and interpretation services for limited English proficient (LEP) individuals in accordance with the DC Language Access Act.

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This website includes contact information for families to use to ask questions or address any concerns that they may have.  It is a community of practice and there are advocates that work with different agencies around the district to get people the services they need in order to be successful.

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The DC Supporting Families Community of Practice (SF CoP) is a group of family members, advocates with disabilities, government leaders, disability advocacy and services professionals, and other interested community members who are thinking together about how to create policies, practices and systems that better support families that include a member with an intellectual or developmental disability across the life course.

Some of the activities the SF CoP has initiated or been involved in include:

Development of a Parent to Parent organization in DC - Parent to Parent will provide emotional and informational peer support to parents of children with disabilities across the life course.

Identifying opportunities and strategies for advocacy - The SF CoP Advocacy Committee has developed an Advocacy Guide that will assist people with disabilities and their families to participate in advocacy about disability issues in DC.

No Wrong Door efforts - Several agencies of DC government looked to the SF CoP to provide input on creating a coordinated, District-wide No Wrong Door system that supports all DC residents in need of long-term services and supports, and their families regardless of where they enter the system.

Person Centered Thinking - The SF CoP is integrating the core concepts and skills of person centered thinking into all that it does.

Ongoing outreach efforts - The SF CoP is always thinking about ways to include more people with disabilities and their families in this work!

If this interests you or you have any questions, contact Emily Ornstein at [email protected] or 202-730-1687 for more information.

The District of Columbia Community of Practice for Supporting Families of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (CoP) partners include the DC Department on Disability Services, DC Developmental Disabilities Council, Project ACTION!, Advocates for Justice and Education, Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, and the Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities. This project is funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and is managed by a partnership between the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS), University of Missouri Kansas City Institute for Human Development (UMKC-IHD), Human Services Research Institute (HSRI), and the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD).

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DC Supporting Families Community of Practice

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The DC Supporting Families Community of Practice (SF CoP) is a group of family members, advocates with disabilities, government leaders, disability advocacy and services professionals, and other interested community members who are thinking together about how to create policies, practices and systems that better support families that include a member with an intellectual or developmental disability across the life course.

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AMAZE Org. (2016, October 5). YouTube. Retrieved August 10, 2021, from https://youtu.be/ITRdvGnplLU

This song is all about being able to just express yourself anyway that you want.  There are many different examples that they song gives about not just how you dress but what you do.  Anything that makes you happy is the way that you should express and carry yourself.

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Bone, J., & Bone, L. (2014). Not every princess (V. Docampo, Illus.). Magination.
This book is about a girl that likes to do all sorts of activities.  The fact that she is a girl does not stop her from doing different things that boys can do.  It makes it clear that you can do anything you want to do regardless of what gender you are.

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Not In Our Own Town. (2016, March 30). Our Family: A Film About Family Diversity. YouTube. Retrieved August 10, 2021, from https://youtu.be/cTqC4U_98Xo

This short film starts off by children talking about different types of people that can be a family.  They also go on and talk about their own type of family that they have and how they feel.  Then there are some clips of the parents and families together talking about how they feel being together and different activities that they might do together.

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Our Family: A Film About Family Diversity

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Burns, T. (2016, October 17). Explore Family Diversity with 5 Easy Activities. Retrieved August 10, 2021, from https://blog.lakeshorelearning.com/2016/10/explore-family-diversity-5-easy-activities/

This article has different activities that can be done in the classroom or at home to look at the family structure.  There are many different types of families all around us and taking the time to recognize the features of every unique family in a fun way can help children learn about others.

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by Toisha Burns | Lakeshore Marketing

Families come in all shapes and sizes. This can be hard for young children to understand...since they spend so much time with the same, familiar family. Luckily, there are lots of easy ways to teach kids about family diversity-no traveling required.

Keep reading to get directions for five hands-on classroom activities that help kids explore all the ways families can be different-from the kinds of houses they live in to the activities they do for fun.

Introduce a or to the class. Begin a discussion about the various places people live in the world and what their homes might look like.

Find pictures of different types of homes families live in around the world. Share the pictures with students and guide them through a comparing and contrasting activity of the photos. What parts of the houses are similar to the one you live in? How are they different? After discussing the homes, use a map to find the regions where these homes are located. Use a push-pin or tape to add each picture to the map in the region it's from. If the photo covers the entire region, use a string to point to the region and tack the photo off to the side.

Display the map on one of your bulletin boards and use it throughout the year to conduct more compare and contrast activities with students...like people, foods, clothing, etc.

2. Who's in Your Family?

Discuss how there are many types of families and that they take on different shapes and sizes. Show children different pictures of families.

Provide each child with a 5″ x 5″ piece of white paper and or . Ask them, "Who's in your family?" Have children draw a picture of their family in the center of the paper. Using 5 Jumbo Craft Sticks, show children how to assemble the shape of a house around their picture and glue the craft sticks together. Center the picture of the family in the frame and glue it in place. Have each student write their family name on their house. Display the houses by hanging them around the classroom.

3. Families Grow Like Trees

Continue the conversation with students about family members. What is a generation? Depending on the level of your students, the conversation can be as simple as explaining the parent-to-child relationship and how it defines generations. For example, grandparents are a generation, parents are a generation and you are a generation. Families are made up of multiple generations, and these generations make up our family trees.

Assist children in creating a family tree. Provide each of them with an empty and clean paper towel roll, a 9″ paper plate and a sheet of construction paper. Have them decorate the paper plate to represent the top of a tree. They can collage and/or paint it. Assist them in gluing the paper plate and the paper towel roll onto the construction paper to create their tree. Provide them with circles, and on each circle have them draw a family member and label it with their relationship. Remind them to also create a circle for themselves. Finally, have students glue on the family member circles beginning with their circle just above the tree trunk. Then have them add their parents above them, then their grandparents and so on...

For a more challenging activity:
Have students research and create a list of relatives as far back as they can, making sure to document not only names, but relationships. Encourage them to interview family members to gather as much information as possible. Invite them to build their own family tree using the information collected. Once complete, allow students to present their family trees to the class. How many generations were you able to trace? Invite them to share one interesting fact they discovered, during the interviews, about their family or a family member.

4. Family Facts

This next activity is great for use as a morning warm-up or end-of-day wrap-up. Complete a Family Facts graphing exercise each day as a group. Set up a graphing area in your classroom. This could be on a dry-erase board or a graphing pad. Title the graph with the fun fact question you want the children to answer about their families.

Introduce the daily question to the class and have students write their names on the graph under their answer. Review the results with the class once everyone has had a chance to contribute. Here are some topic suggestions:

a. Do you have family in another country?
b. How many people are in your family?
c. How many letters in your family name?
d. Have you vacationed outside of the United States?
e. How many pets do you have?

Expand questions further to allow students to share more about their families. For example, invite students to share which countries they have family members living in or what places they have vacationed to outside of the United States.

5. What's in a Name?

Write each students' first or last name on a sentence strip. Invite students to sit in a circle with the sentence strips face down in the center of it. Invite a student to pick a sentence strip from the pile and read the name to the class. Have the student whose name it is stand up. Demonstrate for students how to clap the syllables found in the name. Invite them to clap the number of syllables found by saying the name. Once the class has clapped the syllables in that name, invite that student to pick a new card and repeat the process.

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Explore Family Diversity with 5 Easy Activities - For the Love of Learning

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by Toisha Burns | Lakeshore Marketing Families come in all shapes and sizes. This can be hard for young children to understand...since they spend so much time with the same, familiar family. Luckily, there are lots of easy ways to teach kids about family diversity-no traveling required.

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Morin, A. (2021, May 27). How to Talk to Kids About Disabilities. Retrieved August 10, 2021, from https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-disabilities-4142349

This article breaks down the many different concepts of disabilities that can be talked about and learned.  It explains how there are disabilities that are visible and some that may not be so visible but that are still valid and why we need to understand that everyone is different and that they are not a bad person.  It also gives some tips on what we can do if we suspect that a loved one may have a disability and how we can help.

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From a peer with dyslexia to a cousin who uses a wheelchair, your child may be curious about people with disabilities. Talking to your child about disabilities can help him gain a better understanding of why some people look, talk, act, or move a little bit differently.

Provide Education in a Matter-of-Fact Manner

Don't try to convince your child that someone with a disability is just like he is. Instead, acknowledge that they are a little different, but make it clear that just because someone is different, that doesn't make that person bad.

Then, show your child how to talk about those differences in a respectful manner. Give your child the language to use to talk about someone who has a learning disability or a physical disability.

Educate your child about disabilities in a matter-of-fact manner. Say things like, "The muscles in your uncle's legs don't work like yours. That's why he has trouble walking," or "She was born with one leg. So she has a prosthetic leg that doctors made for her that she uses to walk."

Here are some important points to make:

Some people are born with disabilities. Make it clear that sometimes, babies are born with disabilities. But at other times, people develop disabilities later in life.

People with disabilities aren't sick. Explain that a child with cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy isn't sick. You don't want your child to think he might catch a disability.

There's nothing wrong with people with disabilities. Your child may ask questions like, "What's wrong with that girl?" Explain that a child may have trouble talking or difficulty walking but that doesn't mean there's something "wrong" with her.

A physical disability doesn't mean someone has a cognitive disability. Sometimes, kids assume someone with a physical disability may also struggle to communicate or may not be smart. Make it clear that just because someone's body doesn't work the same doesn't mean their brain is impaired.

Explain How People With Disabilities May Use Adaptive Equipment

Talk to your child about how people with disabilities may use adaptive equipment to assist them. Someone in the grocery store may have a service animal, and other people walk with crutches or use a wheelchair to get around.

You may also explain why there are parking spaces for people with physical disabilities located near the store. Explain how someone may use a special vehicle, designed to fit a wheelchair with a ramp or lift.

Educate your child how to best assist someone who uses adaptive equipment. For example, make it clear that your child should never pet a dog who is wearing a service vest unless the owner invites him to do so, and explain how holding a door for someone who uses a wheelchair may make it easier for them.

Point Out Similarities

Make sure you don't send the message that people with disabilities are completely different from everyone else. Point out things a child with a disability has in common with your child. Say things like, "Lucy is good at math, just like you are. And you both love to listen to the same kind of music."

Understanding how they're the same can help your child relate better to people with disabilities, and it can help increase your child's empathy.

Learn About Disabilities Together

There's a good chance you won't have all the answers about someone's disability. Researching a disability together can help you show your child how to educate himself on unfamiliar conditions.

Look for kid-friendly websites that offer information about autism, Down syndrome, learning disabilities, or other disabilities that he may have questions about. Then, go through the information together.

Read age-appropriate books about disabilities too, and look for TV shows that address specific conditions. Sesame Street, for example, depicts a muppet named Julia who has autism.

Prepare for Tough Questions

Your child may have some tough questions about someone's disability. Don't be afraid to say, "I don't know," if you don't have the answer. Or, try saying, "I'll have to think about that and get back to you," if you need some time to gather your thoughts before giving an answer.

Here are a few tough questions you might hear:

Why was he born like that? You could give a science-based answer by saying, "When he was growing in his mother's belly, his foot just didn't grow." Or, you might give a spiritual answer that reflects your beliefs.

Is she going to live to be a grown up? If your child asks a tough question about someone's lifespan, you may want to focus on what's being done to keep people healthy. Say something like, "I don't know. But doctors and scientists are working hard to find a cure."

Will she ever be able to walk? There's a good chance you might not know someone's prognosis. So you might say, "I'm not sure, but I bet she's working hard along with her doctors to do the best she can."

Teach Kindness and Sensitivity to Others

Unfortunately, there's a good chance your child will overhear some unkind words used to describe someone's disability, and there's a chance your child will repeat those names. Address unkind words right away. Explain to your child that such words are hurtful and it's not OK to say them.

If your child continues to use those words after you've explained to him that they're inappropriate, give a negative consequence. Make it clear that putting people down and speaking disrespectfully about others won't be tolerated.

Additionally, don't allow your child to engage in mean-spirited behavior. Make it known that imitating people with a disability isn't kind and tell your child not to laugh at others.

Tell Your Child to Ask Before Helping

Kids often want to be helpers but, they may not know how to do something that is actually helpful. Or, they may put themselves in danger.

Getting behind someone in a wheelchair without asking them if they need assistance could be dangerous if the person using the wheelchair doesn't see your child. Similarly, your child may be tempted to intervene if he sees a child with autism who is feeling very upset. But, the child just may need a little space to calm down and giving him a hug could make it worse.

So teach your child to ask before springing into action. Asking, "Is there anything I can do to help?" gives the other person an opportunity to say whether assistance would be appreciated.

How to Talk About a Loved One Who Has a Disability

If your child grows up with a loved one who has a disability-like a cousin or a grandparent-he may raise new questions over time. As he gains a better understanding of the body, he may have bigger questions.

If it's a close friend or family member who has the disability, ask if the individual is willing to answer your child's questions. You may find your loved one is happy to field questions to give your child a better understanding.

How to Talk About a Peer Who Has a Disability

Your child may have questions about a peer at school that you're not able to answer. You may have no idea why that girl in his class requires help to eat her food or why a boy in class doesn't speak in full sentences. You may want to explain, "I'm not sure why she needs help eating. Maybe the muscles in her arms don't work like yours do."

You may also want to contact your child's teacher. While the teacher can't reveal information to you about another student, it might be helpful for the teacher to know your child has questions, and other children likely have questions too.

Many schools offer disability-awareness programs. Find out if your child's school has any type of curriculum that teaches kids about disabilities. When children understand another child's disability, they're more likely to become an ally.

Encourage your child to include peers with disabilities in activities. Eating lunch at the same table, playing at recess, or simply striking up a conversation are a few ways your child can be inclusive.

If your child wants to invite a child with a disability to a birthday party, you may want to call the other parent to talk about how to make it happen. Say, "My son wants to have an outdoor party and he'd love to have your child attend. How can we make that happen?"

How to Talk to Your Child About Your Disability

If you have a disability, your child may have a lot of questions about whether you're going to get better or why you can't do certain things. It's important to give honest answers in a kid-friendly manner.

It can be confusing for kids if a parent has a disability that isn't visible on the outside. Kids can't see what's wrong when a parent has an issue that involves chronic pain, for example, so it's important to give kids a little information about the science behind what's happening to your body.

It can also be helpful to share about your self-care strategies. Whether you attend physical therapy, get acupuncture, or take medication, make it clear to your child that you are taking steps to take care of yourself.

If you have a new disability-like the loss of a limb from an accident-and your child is struggling to adjust, seek professional help. Talking to a psychotherapist could help your child process her feelings and adjust to the changes.

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From a peer with dyslexia to a cousin who uses a wheelchair, your child may be curious about people with disabilities. Talking to your child about disabilities can help him gain a better understanding of why some people look, talk, act, or move a little bit differently.

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Thomas, P. (2015). Don't call me special: A first look at disability (L. Harker, Illus.). Barron's.

This book about questions and concerns that may come up about different physical disabilities.  Children are very curious and tend to ask many questions when they see things that they don’t know about.  This book explores how children with physical disabilities encounter their daily life and help others understand their challenges in a simple and reassuring way.

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Don't Call Me Special: A First Look at Disability (A First Look At...Series)

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Don't Call Me Special: A First Look at Disability (A First Look At...Series) [Thomas, Pat, Harker, Lesley] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Don't Call Me Special: A First Look at Disability (A First Look At...Series)

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The Mosaic Project. (2015, November 10). Empathy Song. YouTube. Retrieved August 10, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDQeGKP8qYU

This catchy song helps recognize the characteristics of empathy.  It also goes through the steps of how one can notice and understand other people feelings and also stating how important it is to acknowledge one’s feelings and ideas but also others.

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Cullins, A. (n.d.). Key Strategies to Teach Children Empathy (Sorted by Age). Retrieved August 10, 2021, from https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/key-strategies-teach-children-empathy

This article explains how the key component of empathy is to be positive and be kind.  It also talks about different strategies that one can use with children according to their age to help guide them through the process of developing empathy towards others.

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You may have heard the saying, "Before you criticize or judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes." This quote is all about empathy. Empathy is the ability to be aware of the feelings of others and imagine what it might be like to be in their position (or in their shoes).

Empathy is a key ingredient in positive friendships and relationships . It reduces conflict and misunderstandings and leads to helping behavior, kindness , and even greater success in life in general.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE 21-Day Family Gratitude Challenge. Make this challenge a part of your night routine or family dinner time for the next 21 days (that's how long it takes to build a habit).
Model empathy.
4 General Strategies to Teach Empathy at Any Age
Discuss emotions.
Any time you want to teach a skill to a child, it's important to model it yourself. This way, the child understands what empathy looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Plus, it's easier to teach a skill that you've already mastered yourself.

If your child doesn't like another child, don't immediately say, "That's wrong," but ask why the child feels that way. This can lead to a discussion about the other child's actions and the child might be acting that way (e.g., They just moved to a new school and are feeling angry because they miss their old school and their friends).
Help out at home, in the community, or globally.
Never punish a child for feeling sad or angry. Make it clear that all emotions are welcome, and learn to manage them in a healthy way through discussion and reflection.
Praise empathetic behavior.
Helping others develop kindness and caring. It can also give children the opportunity to interact with people of diverse backgrounds, ages, and circumstances, making it easier to show empathy for all people.

When your child shows empathy for others, the behavior. Focusing on and encouraging empathetic behavior encourages more of it in the future.

Make the praise specific: "You brought your sister a Band-Aid for her scraped knee so she could feel better. That was so kind and helpful!"

Age-Specific Strategies

Below are some age-specific strategies for developing empathy in children. The age ranges below are a general guide; start with a few activities or ideas that you think will resonate with your child. Some activities introduced to younger children may be carried on into the later years.
Describe and label.
3-5 Years

Help children recognize their emotions and the emotions of others by describing and labeling (e.g., "You seem angry," or, "Are you feeling sad?").

You can also promote body awareness, as young children may find it easier to identify emotions based on how it feels in their body.
Read Stories.
For instance, you might say, "You're clenching your fists. You stomped your feet. You seem angry." The more children become aware of their own emotions, the more they'll recognize and consider the emotions of others.

As you read stories with your child, ask how the characters in the storybooks might be feeling.

Here's one example from our list of 29 Books and Activities That Teach Kindness to Children :

" Listening with My Heart" by Gabi Garcia tells the story of Esperanza, who learns to be kind both to others and to herself when things don't go as planned. You can ask your child questions like:

How does Esperanza feel at the beginning of the story? How do Esperanza's feelings change during the story?

How does Bao feel at the beginning of the story? How do Bao's feelings change?

How was Esperanza feeling when she ran off the stage?

If you could talk to Esperanza after she ran off the stage, what would you say to her?

How do you think it would feel if it happened to you? What would you like someone to say to you after that experience?

What does Esperanza do to be a good friend to herself?

What can you do to be a good friend to yourself?

You can also read about and discuss how it feels when others are mean with the book " Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes, in which Chrysanthemum loves her unique name-until others start to tease her about it.

" The Day the Crayons Quit" by Drew Daywalt is another great book for discussing emotions with young children. In this colorful story, Duncan just wants to color. Unfortunately, his crayons are on strike. Beige is always overlooked for Brown, Black only gets to make outlines, Orange and Yellow are in a standoff over which is the true color of the sun, and so on.

As Duncan tries to find a way to make all of his crayons happy, you can talk to children about how the crayons (and Duncan) are feeling. This is also a good way to teach that everyone has different needs, hopes, and dreams, and sometimes it's hard to find ways for everyone to agree.

You can take a similar approach with just about any story that your child loves!

Dr. Becky Bailey, the founder of the SEL program Conscious Discipline, recommends making a We Care Center to teach children empathy.

The We Care Center can be as simple as a box containing Kleenex, Band-Aids, and a small stuffed animal. This provides a symbolic way for children to offer empathy to others in distress.

For instance, a young child may notice that Mom seems sad-or even that Mom is sneezing-and offer tissues.

This teaches children to be aware of others and to develop an understanding that our responses and actions can have a positive impact.
Coach social skills in the moment.
We can also model this relationship with statements like, "Our neighbors are sick. Let's take them some soup to help them feel better!" or, "Your brother scraped his elbow. Let's help by bringing him a Band-Aid!"

If your child snatches her brother's toy, ask questions like, "How do you think your brother feels? How do you feel when your brother takes your toys? Look at his face. He seems sad. What could we do instead of snatching your brother's toy?"

At this point, you could teach a more appropriate response to want a toy, such as asking for a turn, making a trade, or playing with another toy while waiting. It's much easier for children to learn social skills when they are taught in context.
Play emotion charades.
5-7 Years

Teaching emotions through play is an important way to develop empathy in children. Games and activities can help children learn the language to express and understand complex feelings.

To play emotion charades, take turns acting out emotions and guessing what feeling is being portrayed. After a player has guessed correctly, you can also discuss the emotion with questions like:

When do you feel sad?

What helps you feel better when you're sad?

How can we help someone else when they're feeling sad?

Lisette at the Where Imagination Grows blog suggests a helpful variation on this game. She uses the characters from the movie Inside Out to represent different emotions.
Use pictures.
She cuts out images of the characters and glues each character onto an index card. The performer then draws an index card from a bucket and acts out that emotion. The other children hold up the corresponding character figurine to guess the emotion.

Visuals are another great way to help children learn. If your child seems to have trouble recognizing and/or labeling emotions, cut out pictures from magazines or print pictures from the Internet that show sad, angry, or happy faces. You can also work up to more complex emotions like scared, embarrassed, disappointed, frustrated, etc.
Embrace diversity.
As you discuss how the people in the pictures are feeling, you can also ask children about times they felt the same way. Provide examples from your own life too, showing that even adults grapple with big emotions and that it's perfectly normal.

A major component of empathy is respecting others from different backgrounds.
Observe others.
Give your child opportunities to play with children of different races, backgrounds, ability levels, sexes, and so on. You can also read books or watch shows featuring children who are different from your child. Help children understand and focus on what they have in common with others.

Deepen your child's understanding of nonverbal cues by playing a game where you observe other people in a busy public place, like a park.
Teach healthy limits and boundaries.
Note the body language of others and guess how they might be feeling. "That child's head is down, and his shoulders are hunched like this. I think he might be feeling sad. I wonder why he feels that way?"

As your children grow older, it's important that they also understand empathy doesn't mean taking on the problems and needs of everyone around them. It doesn't mean always saying "yes" or dropping everything to help others.

Teach your children to understand and respect their own needs by following these 3 steps.

1. Create a plan for how your child can respond in certain scenarios. If, for example, another child gives an unwanted hug, your child can say, "I don't like that. Please don't touch me." If a child calls your child a name, your child can say, "My name is ________. Call me that instead."

2. Create a list of scenarios in which it's necessary to ask an adult for help, like a child refusing to take no for an answer or any situation that feels dangerous or uncomfortable. In addition, explain that being helpful to others should not involve breaking any rules or doing anything that your child isn't comfortable with.

3. Respect your child's boundaries. If your child doesn't like to be tickled or doesn't want to be picked up and spun around, don't push the issue. Say, "I understand. I won't do it again." This models the way your child should expect others to behave when he or she says "no."

Don't forget to download our FREE 21-Day Family Gratitude Challenge and make this challenge a part of your family's routine!
Engage in high-level discussions about book characters.
7-9 Years

Read more advanced books and engage in high-level discussions about what the characters think, believe, want, and feel. How do we know?

For example, read " The Invisible Boy" by Trudy Ludwig, in which a boy named Brian struggles with feeling like he is invisible. He's never invited to parties or included in games. When a new student named Justin arrives, Brian is the first to make him feel welcome. When the boys team up on a class project, Brian finds a way to shine. The book teaches children that small acts of kindness can help kids feel included and allow them to flourish.

After reading, ask questions like:

Why did Brian feel invisible?

How do you think being "invisible" makes Brian feel?

How did Brian help Justin feel welcome?

How did Justin help Brian feel more "visible?"

Have you ever felt left out or invisible? What would have helped you feel more included or visible?

In one experimental study, 110 school kids (aged seven years) were enrolled in a reading program. Some students were randomly assigned to engage in conversations about the emotional content of the stories they read. Others were asked only to produce drawings about the stories.

After two months, the kids in the conversation group showed greater advances in emotion comprehension, the theory of mind, and empathy, and the positive outcomes "remained stable for six months."
Loving-kindness and compassion meditation.
You can select books to read with your children that are directly related to empathy. Alternatively, notice what your children are reading and engage them in conversations about the characters, their emotions, and what your child might think, feel, or do in similar situations.

Studies show that as little as two weeks of training in compassion and kindness meditations can lead to changes in brain chemistry that are linked to an increase in positive social behaviors, including empathy. These meditations also lead to increased positive emotions and social connectedness, in addition to improved health.

Loving-kindness meditation involves thinking of loved ones and sending them positive thoughts. Later, your child can expand her positive thoughts to more neutral people in her life as well.

The four traditional phrases for this meditation are, "May you feel safe. May you feel happy. May you feel healthy. May you live with ease." The exact wording you and your child use aren't important; it's about generating feelings of kindness and warmth.
Engage in cooperative board games or cooperative construction.
With compassion training, children visualize experiences in which they felt sad or upset, then relate to these experiences with warmth and care. They then repeat the exercise with other people, starting with close loved ones, followed by a difficult person, and finally extending compassion to humanity in general.

Research shows that successful experiences with cooperation encourage us to cooperate more in the future. Collaborating with others can encourage children to build positive relationships and to be open to developing more positive relationships in the future.

These experiences also involve discussions and debate, teaching children to consider other perspectives.

Ideas for cooperative board games or cooperative construction include:

Play with Legos, working together to build something specific

Race to the Treasure! (a board game in which children collaborate to build a path and beat an ogre to the treasure)

a cooperative whodunit game)

an award-winning cooperative matching game)

The Secret Door ( a mystery board game in which children ages 5+ work together to solve the mystery behind the secret door)

Sign up for acting classes.
9-11 Years
Create empathy maps.
If your child is interested, get him involved in theater or acting classes. Stepping into the role of another person is a great way to build empathy, just as playing pretend helps young children develop understanding and compassion for others.

Empathy maps i nclude four sections: Feel, Think, Say, and Do. Choose an emotion, then brainstorm what you might say, think, and do when you feel that way.

For example: "When I feel worried, I might think I'm making a lot of mistakes or that something bad is going to happen. I say, 'I'm sorry' too much or, 'I can't do this.' Sometimes when I'm worried, I do nothing at all. Something helpful that I can do is to take deep breaths and remind myself that everything will be okay."
Discuss current events.
Ages 12+

Learn about current events and develop empathy by reading newspapers, news magazines, or watching the news together. Alternatively, you can do this activity when your child mentions a current event to you.

Ask questions like:
Encourage your child to choose volunteer work.

How might the people involved in this situation be feeling?

How would you feel in a similar situation?

Is there anything we can do to help?

Encourage your child to choose volunteer work that he or she is passionate about. As children get older, they can take a more direct role in helping the community or society in general. They may even want to start their own projects or charitable organizations to solve a problem they feel strongly about.
Walk the line.
It's important for kids to explore the world beyond themselves. Our Big Life Journal - Teen Edition includes a section where older kids can write down and map out ways they can make a difference in the world. They can take these passions and turn them into opportunities to serve their communities.

This activity is perfect for classrooms, summer camps, or other places with a large group of older children/teens. "Walk the Line" was demonstrated in the movie Freedom Writers.

Put a line of tape in the middle of the group, with students facing each side's line. Read a series of statements. If the statement is true for the student, they go stand on the line.

This could include statements like "I've lost a family member," "I've been bullied at school," and so on. Students can also help create the prompts.

The activity shows the struggles they have in common and helps them understand what their peers experience and feel. At the end of the activity, students return to their seats to reflect through writing or discussion.

Looking for additional resources to help teach your child about empathy? The Big Life Journal helps children develop strong Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and growth mindset skills through inspiring stories, colorful illustrations, and engaging guided activities.

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Key Strategies to Teach Children Empathy (Sorted by Age)

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Empathy is a key ingredient in positive friendships and relationships. It reduces conflict and misunderstandings and leads to helping behavior, kindness, and even greater success in life in general. Like any skill, empathy can be taught and developed in children.

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Suttie, J. (2017, January 31). How Adults Communicate Bias to Children. Retrieved August 10, 2021, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_adults_communicate_bias_to_children

This article is about how children can learn prejudice through adults in their life.  It goes on to explain about how important nonverbal communication is and also gives some strategies on what we can do to ensure that children are learning to not have biases.

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In a rapidly diversifying society, it's more important than ever for kids to learn how to get along with people who are different from themselves. But what if we adults are inadvertently making kids prejudiced? That's the question raised by a new study from the University of Washington.

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Pressner, K. (2016, August 30). Ted Talk: Are you biased? YouTube. Retrieved August 10, 2021, from https://youtu.be/Bq_xYSOZrgU

This video was a TED Talk about a woman leader realizing her own biased.  She then goes on to talk about how she feels she supports woman but then has an unconscious bias and makes us realize that we need to think about our own personal situations to see if we are truly not biased.

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Are you biased? I am | Kristen Pressner | TEDxBasel

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o   Kostecki-Shaw, J. S. (2015). Same, same, but different. Weston Woods.

This book about two children who write to each other and are in different places countries.  As they write to each other, they soon realize that they both like the same things.  Even though they are different people, and they live in different places, they are still very similar.

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Same, Same But Different [Kostecki-Shaw, Jenny Sue, Kostecki-Shaw, Jenny Sue] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Same, Same But Different

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o   Reiser, L. (1993). Margaret and Margarita, Margarita y Margaret. Greenwillow Books.

This book is about two little girls who both have a stuffed animal and enjoy the park.  They go to the park and find each other and are a little shy to play with each other due to the language barrier.  They both speak different languages but at the end of the day, they are able to push past that barrier and realize they have many things in common and become good friends by playing together.

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Margaret and Margarita / Margarita y Margaret

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Margaret and Margarita / Margarita y Margaret [Reiser, Lynn, Reiser, Lynn] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Margaret and Margarita / Margarita y Margaret

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o   Roberts, J. (2014). The smallest girl in the smallest grade (C. Robinson, Illus.). G.P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA).
This book is about just one small child can make a difference.  The child is often overlooked, but this child sees it all and eventually speaks up and makes herself heard when she sees others are being bullied.  This gives the message that no matter how small you may seem; your voice is still strong enough and important for others to listen.

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o   Cronin, D. (2000). Click, clack, moo: Cows that type (B. Lewin, Illus.). Simon & Schuster.

This book has a message about how coming together and using your words to make sure issues are resolved.  This book is a fun way to show children how speaking up or writing notes can leave an impact on someone and have eventually have to listen.  It’s a good thing to always stand up for yourself and others.

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Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type - Kindle edition by Cronin, Doreen, Lewin, Betsy. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type.

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o   Sotomayor, S. (2019). Just ask!: Be different, be brave, be you (R. López, Illus.). Philomel Books.

This book celebrates the different abilities that children and people may have.  It encourages children to ask questions if we meet someone that is different from us and create a positive learning experience.  It also talks about different challenges some children may face but also looks at the extraordinary characteristics they have as well.

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Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You

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Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You [Sotomayor, Sonia, López, Rafael] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You

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o   Britt, P. (2017). Why am I me? (S. Qualls & S. Alko, Illus.). Scholastic Press.

This book has a lot of different illustrations with children as main characters asking the same questions.  This book gives the opportunity for children to step back and analyze others and themselves.  It will help foster connections between others as we identify ourselves as well.

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Why Am I Me? [Britt, Paige, Alko, Selina, Qualls, Sean] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Why Am I Me?