The research shows that referring to feelings in everyday situations increases empathy for children as young as three years old. That is, simply embedding vocabulary and bringing attention to feelings in children and in others around them increases their capacity to recognize and respond to others’ emotions.

 

There are many ways to embed conversations about feelings in a school setting – from the playground where recess supervisors can talk to children about how their peers feel when resolving conflicts to the classroom where feelings can be talked about in the context of any lesson that involves social interaction (either in content or in process).