From Empathy to Action: Empowering K–6 Students to Create Change Through Reading, Writing, and Research: (Equity and Social Justice in Education Series)

How can we move children from simply talking about things to learning to take action – and feeling empowered to enact change? This book shows you exactly what this can look like in an elementary class setting. It details the structures and instructional strategies classroom teachers can adopt to help their children create positive outcomes for their communities while also building identities for themselves as real agents of change. Topics include building empathy and compassion, helping students become aware of issues within their communities, creating brave environments so students can engage in productive discussions around sensitive topics, engaging students in research that answers their needs and those of their community, and supporting students into action. Classroom examples, practical tools, and student voices are featured throughout. With this book by your side, you can debunk the false deficit-based assumptions that young people aren’t ready for activism, and you’ll see what is possible when we commit ourselves to integrating civic learning into our classroom literacy instruction.

Table of Contents:
1. Helping Students Better Understand and Empathize with Others 2. Helping Students Become More Aware of Issues Within the Community 3. Helping Students Engage in Critical Discussion 4. Helping Students Conduct Research 5. Helping Students Take Action

About the Author :
Chris Hass is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Early, Elementary, and Reading Education at James Madison University. Previously, he spent 20 years teaching in early childhood and elementary classrooms. His book, Social Justice Talk, was published in 2020. Katie Kelly is a Professor of Education at Furman University and was formerly an elementary classroom teacher and a literacy coach in North Carolina and New York. Katie is widely published in several peer-reviewed journals and books for educators. Lester Laminack, Professor Emeritus, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, is a full-time writer and consultant working with schools throughout the United States and abroad. He is the author of over 25 books for teachers and children.

Review :
"Some books seem good. Others give you useful information. But then, every once in a while, you find a book that changes you. Not just by teaching you something important, but by reshaping how you think about your students-your kids-and the work you do with them every day. From Empathy to Action is one of those books. It doesn't just offer ideas-it makes you rethink how you teach. It helps you see how kids become better readers, writers, and, more importantly, how they begin to understand their place in the world. Across five chapters, Hass, Kelly, and Laminack guide us through a process that starts with building empathy and moves through awareness, discussion, research, and, finally, action. At first glance, this might seem like just another professional book-but it's more than that. It makes you reflect not just on your teaching, but on yourself. It challenges you to think differently, engage more deeply, and bring these ideas into your classroom in a way that truly matters. Read this. You'll use it with your students but honestly, you'll also read it for you." Kylene Beers, Author of When Kids Can't Read and NCTE 2024 James R. Squire Award Winner