School Violence, Low Emotional Intelligence? The root cause is “lack of empathy”! Glacier: Intercultural education allows children ages 4-7 to learn empathy and practice English!
With the recent news of violence in schools, many parents have asked, “How can we teach our children to think differently from a young age?‘ In fact, a child's ’empathy” is not innate - 4-7 years old is the golden period for empathy development, and missing this stage will make it much harder to make up for it in the future. Glacier has been specializing in the development of empathy for children.多Years of intercultural education (au pair, summer school, and study abroad at an early age) are a great way for your child to learn empathy through play, and to improve their English language skills!
I. Empathy: the “soft power” of a child's life, more important than grades
Empathy is not simply “being kind”, but the ability to understand the feelings of others and to put yourself in their shoes:
- It is the root cause of reducing violence in schools: when children can experience the “pain of being bullied”, they will not actively harm others;
- It is at the heart of high emotional intelligence: children who can speak and socialize are able to accurately capture the emotions of others;
- It is the foundation of future leadership: those who can empathize will be able to unite partners from different backgrounds and become true leaders.
Research shows that children with empathy are three times more likely to grow up with pro-social behaviors (helping others, cooperating) and have a higher rate of success in the workplace!
Second, 4-7 years old is the golden period, and it is difficult to make up for missing it.
A child's “theory of mind” (the ability to understand what others are thinking) begins to develop at age 4:
- 3-4 years: Can recognize that “other people think differently than I do” (e.g., knows that mom likes apples and she likes bananas);
- 5 years old: can accurately interpret the emotions of others (e.g., knows that a child is “sad” when he or she cries);
- After age 7: If not deliberately cultivated, empathy solidifies - children with violent tendencies will have significantly less empathy than their peers after age 7.
Unfortunately, nowadays, most of the education focuses on “achievement”: the ideological and moral lessons in schools are just a formality, and families ignore emotional education, resulting in many children being “selfish” and “unable to empathize”.
III. Intercultural education in Kakuraishi: making empathy development “visible and tangible”
The au pair, summer school, and younger study abroad programs at Gerlach use real cross-cultural scenarios to allow children to practice empathy on a daily basis:
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Au Pair Program: Learning to “Respect Differences” from Spending Time Together”
Foreign au pairs live and eat with their children, who are exposed to “cultural differences” on a daily basis:
- The au pair doesn't eat spicy food, and the child will take the initiative and say, “Sister, I'll save you a non-spicy dish.”
- When an au pair is homesick, the child will hand over a toy to comfort, “Don't be sad, sister, I'll play with you.”
- Au pairs play by rules different from their own, and children learn to “compromise” and “understand”.
Case in point: Beijing's Xiaoyu, who never considered others“ feelings when grabbing toys before. After getting along with his Canadian au pair sister, he saw her crying when she was homesick and took the initiative to share his ”baby" - this is the real practice of empathy!
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Summer School Program: Practicing “Thinking Differently” in Overseas Socialization”
At Kolaihi's overseas summer schools (e.g., in the U.S. and the U.K.), children attend classes and play with partners from different countries:
- When working in a group, children learn to “listen” rather than “dismiss” the ideas of their foreign classmates;
- When a friend accidentally breaks his work, the child says, “It's okay, we'll make another one together” (because he knows the other person didn't mean it);
- When there is a language barrier, children use gestures and drawings to communicate and experience the “warmth of being understood”.
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Low-age study abroad programs: deepening “empathy” in long-term integration”
Children who study abroad at an early age are exposed to “culture shock” on a daily basis:
- When a new classmate doesn't speak the same language, the child will take the initiative to communicate in simple English, recognizing the “helplessness” of the other person;
- Teachers teach in different ways, and children adapt to understand the “rules of a different culture”;
- Missing family during the holidays makes children more aware of their “parents” concerns" - experiences that engrain empathy in their bones.
IV. Conclusion: Cultivating empathy begins with cross-cultural contact
Empathy is not taught, it is practiced. Intercultural education at Collegiate Academy allows children to improve their English language skills and develop empathy in a playful way - this is the kind of whole-person education that will be needed in the society of the future!
Click on "Kolaihi Project Center".Consult with an advisor to customize an au pair/summer school/young adult study abroad program that is right for your child!