How RedRover Readers Inspires Future Teachers

By Minhhan Takemoto, Program> Manager –

At RedRover, we’ve always believed in the power of stories to spark empathy. Since its creation, the RedRover Readers program has given educators tools to guide open-ended discussions with students, helping children build compassion for both animals and people. Over the years, thousands of teachers have brought these strategies into their classrooms – and the ripple effect continues to grow.

Recently, that impact was highlighted in a research article by an undergraduate student of Dr. Sarah Straub at Stephen F. Austin State University. In Emma Halliburton’s paper, A Narrative Inquiry of a Pre-Service Teacher in an Elementary DHH/Hearing Setting, the pre-service teacher reflected on how the methods she learned from the RedRover Readers program helped her shape classroom discussions, foster empathy, and remain neutral while encouraging every child’s voice. She wrote about applying the empathy-focused techniques not only to lessons about animals, but also to helping children better understand one another:

“[The RedRover Readers program] taught me how to lead lessons with a children’s book and how to incorporate empathy into the classroom. My RedRover course focused on empathy towards animals, but I can also use those techniques to teach kids how to be empathetic towards people. It also gave me a better understanding of how to conduct classroom discussions to encourage everyone to participate and remain neutral to answers.”

This is exactly what we hoped for when we created RedRover Readers: an adaptable resource that grows with teachers, students, and the needs of classrooms.

If you’re an educator or simply someone passionate about nurturing empathy in children, you can learn these same skills by taking our On-Demand RedRover Readers online course at RedRover.org/On-Demand.