Case Study

Ruth has just arrived in the UK following migration across Europe with her family. She is 6 years of age and has arrived with her father and mother and three older brothers. She does not speak any English. Her brothers speak a little English. She is due to start at the local primary school next week and she is excited but very frightened that she will not be able to cope and might not make new friends. She is worried about being teased. In her home country she has been very happy at school and has already learned to read well in her own language. Her understanding of mathematics is quite advanced for her age.

Activity

1. View the following YouTube video, ‘This is Seeds of Empathy’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP-XqiCI4SU. Having viewed the video, consider how early years’ practitioners and teachers can work with young children to develop their empathy towards children from other cultures and societies across the world.
    
2. Take time to develop an activity that might involve children in developing their empathy towards other cultures. What specific objectives would this activity aim to achieve and what role could language and emotional intelligence play in achieving these objectives?

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