Fostering Compassion

One of two new Out of the Box Training Kits from Exchange, titled "Cultivating Compassionate Classrooms," is based on the Exchange article by Wendy Heinrichs Sanders, "Walking Alongside Children as They Form Compassion."  In the article, Sanders talks about fostering compassion in children through readiness, recognition, responding, and rehearsing.  In providing suggestions on how to empower children to respond to compassion, she suggests...

• Name ways children show compassion:  “McKayla, I see you are helping Lamont pick up the pieces of his puzzle that fell on the ground.”  Be careful to validate rather than reward.
• Expand children’s ideas of ways to help those in need.  For example, one set of teachers discussed a child’s idea to gather food for an animal shelter, and the school as a whole adopted the project.
• Plan ways to engage children in acts of compassion.  Sample projects include bringing in clothes for children who are homeless or abused, serving meals at a homeless shelter, or conducting a winter coat exchange.  One group of children adopted the elderly in a nearby retirement home and sent letters and pictures to cheer them.  One teacher talked about sending prayers on the wind to children in need around the world.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.

© 2005 Child Care Information Exchange - All Rights Reserved | Contact Us | Return to Site