Reading for Empathy: Volunteer Forum with EmpathyLab

We were delighted to welcome 55 Schoolreaders volunteers to a recent online Volunteer Forum with EmpathyLab, exploring how reading can help children develop empathy as well as confidence.

EmpathyLab champions the power of stories to help young people understand other people’s experiences and perspectives. During the session, Managing Director Imogen Bond shared fascinating insights into the strong links between reading engagement, reading ability and empathy.

Using the picture book April’s Garden, Imogen showed how volunteers can ask thoughtful, open questions during a reading session – helping children think about how characters might be feeling and why. It was a great reminder that even small conversations around a story can help children see the world through someone else’s eyes.

Imogen also shared simple, practical ideas that volunteers can use in their reading sessions, along with some recommended books and resources that support empathy-building.

The feedback from volunteers was very positive, with many saying they found the session both inspiring and useful. A number of volunteers have already shared EmpathyLab’s work with the schools they support, which is fantastic to hear.

If you were not able to attend, the recording will be shared with all volunteers, and we would really encourage you to take a little time to watch it.

You can also find out more about EmpathyLab and their resources here: https://www.empathylab.uk

A big thank you to Imogen and the EmpathyLab team for such an engaging and thought-provoking session.