It's known that reading is good for a child's vocabulary and literacy skills, teaching them math or science concepts and helping them learn history. Apart from those, reading has another benefit. Have you read a story and felt tears well up because of a character's suffering? If so, that is because you have empathy (共鸣) for the character- and empathy can be learned through various fiction. "It's a magic eye that sees into other people's hearts," explains author Cressida Cowell.
Research shows that human brains react differently to stories and facts. "Many more areas of your brain light up when you're enjoying a story," explains Miranda McKearney from Empathy Lab, an organization that builds empathy through reading. "Your brain thinks you are in the story. . . This means you experience the characters' thoughts as if they are real. "
Empathy helps you to read people's emotions and work out the best way to respond. This skill, called emotional intelligence, can make it easier to communicate and connect with people. Research has shown that building empathy can lead to greater kindness and tolerance. One study found that children who read the Harry Potternovels- which tell stories about humans fighting against the evil-were less likely to behave unfairly towards powerless groups including refugees (难民).
This theory has been put into practice by St. Michael's Primary School. After reading The Boy at the Back of the Class- a story about a boy who is a refugee escaping from the war- students in that school were inspired to do a 10-mile walk for the non-profit organization Refugee Action. Their empathy also spurred them to raise £1,000 for people who were forced to leave their homes because of war.
Reading encourages children to empathise with others, which could potentially lead to several beneficial learning outcomes, new research suggests. For society to develop, creative, communicative and empathetic individuals really matter.
