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Conflicts give us a reason to keep reading. They hold our interest, and they cause us to root for the characters in our books. When no one else seems to be helping these characteres, we, as the readers, serve as their support system--reading until the last page. Conflicts allow us to gain empathy for characters. What is empathy? Empathy is the ability to understand the experiences of others because we have been in similiar situations before. I do believe that reading makes peoople more empathetic. In our current world, this is a trait that I hope we don't lose! Caring about others is never something that we should outgrow!
Here's something I'd like you all to do so that I know you're soaking in the information here. Please go to Edmodo and in your small group, make a post answering the following question: When has reading a book ever caused you to have empathy for one of the characters? Explain the situation. I don't care about the length of your response. I care only about the thoughtfulness behind your response. Make your post by Sunday night. As always, earlier would be better!
-Ms. Sanford
Parent Outreach: Here's an interesting slide explaining the importance of connecting emotionally with what we read: http://www.parents.com/kids/development/social/raise-a-compassionate-child/#page=10