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Differential Development of Empathy   

Children develop empathy skills at different rates, but it is sometimes helpful to know what are reasonable expectations. In pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, an "average” child is able to recognize and name different feelings, begin to understand that people may have different feelings about the same thing but still mainly focus on their own feelings, and show some concern and helping behaviors. In grades 1and 2, children are able to distinguish between accidental and intentional actions. In grade 3, children are more sensitive to another person’s feelings and point of view. They will be able assign blame based on the person’s intent. In grades 4 to 6, children understand that no one person is absolutely right, will view their own behaviors as being motivated from internal and external sources, will understand more complex emotions (shame, anxiety), and will recognize that a person can have conflicting emotions about the same thing.



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