Early Literacy #6: Literary Fiction & Empathy
There is recent evidence to suggest that children who
read literary fiction are more likely to demonstrate empathy towards others.
Literary fiction is fiction that focuses on character development and theme, as
opposed to genre or popular fiction which follows a formula, and characters
develop according to the expectations of the genre.
The findings have implications not only for the
socialization of children, but also for other groups as well. It was suggested
that reading programs in prisons could help improve the ability of inmates to
understand others and demonstrate empathy. The authors also hoped that their
findings will encourage autistic individuals to read literary fiction in the hope it could improve their
ability to empathize without the side effects of medication.
When
choosing literary fiction for children, look for books that focus on theme as
opposed to plot. Theme is the message of the story. It is often thought of as a
universal truth that is expressed in the story. Some common themes in
children’s literature include, friendship, self-discovery, self-acceptance,
overcoming challenges, growing up, courage/bravery, loss/grief and school.
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