How Reading Stories Helps Children Develop Empathy

Why storytelling does more than entertain

If you're like many tired, loving parents trying to navigate school stress and emotional ups and downs with your child, you've probably turned to books for comfort or even distraction. A beautiful bedtime ritual, a rainy Sunday storytime—these moments can feel cozy and calm. But beyond the calm, something deeper is happening. When children listen to or read stories, especially ones rich in characters and emotional arcs, they’re actually learning a crucial life skill: empathy.

Empathy—the ability to understand and share the feelings of someone else—isn’t something children are born with fully formed. It develops gradually and can be nurtured through intentional parenting, safe relationships, and yes, storytelling. Not just any storytelling, but the kind that invites children into the thoughts, fears, hopes, and dreams of someone else, even if that someone is a shy rabbit or a space-traveling girl from Jupiter.

Stories bridge experiences children may never live—but still understand

Children live in a fairly small world—home, school, maybe a few extracurricular activities. But their inner emotional world is vast. Through story characters wrestling with anxiety, losing a pet, starting a new school, or learning to make amends, children get a window into the emotional realities of others. Stories help children imagine how someone else might feel, even if that someone is nothing like them.

Books or audio stories that deal with big life changes—grief, moving, parental separation—can give language and perspective to experiences your child may be facing or may one day face. And even when the story isn’t personally relevant, these narratives grow your child’s capacity to see the world through different eyes.

Listening, not just reading, grows empathy

Not all children love reading independently—especially those who struggle with learning difficulties or attention challenges. That’s okay. Empathy still grows when children experience stories through listening. In fact, audio storytelling can be even more powerful for some kids. Without the visual input, they must rely on tone, pacing, and context clues to make sense of feelings and relationships. They begin to hear emotion as well as words.

This is where apps like iOS or Android app LISN Kids come in, offering thoughtfully crafted original audiobooks and series for children ages 3 to 12. Filled with emotion-rich storytelling and age-appropriate themes, tools like this can gently support your child's emotional intelligence—whether during the bedtime routine, on a car ride, or as a calming break from homework stress.

Empathy starts with asking, “How would I feel?”

Children don’t naturally ask themselves this question. But stories guide them to it. When a character feels left out at school, struggles to apologize, or wrestles with a bad decision, children are prompted—consciously or subconsciously—to connect. Sometimes that recognition comes through an instinctive “Oh, that would feel awful,” or even laughter at an awkward moment. Either way, they are practicing emotional perspective-taking, which scaffolds into everyday social skills.

You might notice your child responding to stories with strong reactions: anger toward an unfair teacher, tears for an abandoned puppy, or even frustration that a character “lied.” These are golden moments to talk about feelings—what the character might have felt, why they acted that way, and what could have been different. Sharing stories as a family builds a common emotional language and reinforces your child’s ability to name and reflect on complex emotions.

Practical ways to foster empathy through stories

Storytime isn’t just a passive activity. Consider enriching it with a few intentional habits:

• Pause to ask questions. Not comprehension checks, but emotional questions: “Why do you think she was so upset?” or “Would you have done the same thing?”
• Let them re-listen. Repeating the same stories deepens understanding and comfort. There’s value in hearing a story again and again.
• Choose diverse characters and settings. Exposure to different cultures, family dynamics, and identities expands a child’s empathetic range. Apps and audiobooks that curate a wide range of representation can be especially helpful here.
• Encourage genre exploration. Even fantasy and mystery stories can nurture empathy when characters face moral dilemmas or emotional growth. Try inviting your child to explore genres outside their usual favorites.
• Create a calm, distraction-free space. Empathy needs presence. Reducing distractions during storytime helps kids tune in more deeply to emotional cues in the narrative.

Empathy is its own kind of literacy

As parents, we often focus so intensely on academic performance—reading speed, math fluency, staying organized. But emotional literacy, especially empathy, carries just as much lifelong weight. It supports peer relationships, emotional regulation, and resilience under stress.

By nurturing your child’s love for story—whether through pages or voices—you’re helping them grow into more compassionate, curious, and emotionally aware humans. And while parenting through school stress and learning difficulties is never easy, know that every bedtime chapter, every listened-to tale, every shared laugh or tear—it all counts.