From Empathy to Action

How can we move children from simply talking about things to learning to take action – and feeling empowered to enact change? This book shows you exactly what this can look like in an elementary class setting. It details the structures and instructional strategies classroom teachers can adopt to help their children create positive outcomes for their communities while also building identities for themselves as real agents of change.

Topics include building empathy and compassion, helping students become aware of issues within their communities, creating brave environments so students can engage in productive discussions around sensitive topics, engaging students in research that answers their needs and those of their community, and supporting students into action. Classroom examples, practical tools, and student voices are featured throughout.

With this book by your side, you can debunk the false deficit-based assumptions that young people aren’t ready for activism, and you’ll see what is possible when we commit ourselves to integrating civic learning into our classroom literacy instruction.

Chris Hass is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Early, Elementary, and Reading Education at James Madison University. Previously, he spent 20 years teaching in early childhood and elementary classrooms. His book, Social Justice Talk, was published in 2020.

Katie Kelly is a Professor of Education at Furman University and was formerly an elementary classroom teacher and a literacy coach in North Carolina and New York. Katie is widely published in several peer-reviewed journals and books for educators.

Lester Laminack, Professor Emeritus, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, is a full-time writer and consultant working with schools throughout the United States and abroad. He is the author of over 25 books for teachers and children.