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2001 Volunteer Leader Training Guide
Building Character in Young Children
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Objectives
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To introduce information to participants about
the importance of character education for young children.
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To provide participants with examples of
age-appropriate activities to help build character.
Target Audience
Parents, grandparents and child care providers.
Introduction
Think of character as being the roots of a tree. The roots
anchor the tree to the ground, pulling nutrients and water from the soil. The
roots are essential to the health of the tree. They allow the rest of the plant
to grow and flourish. The roots are often hidden completely from view.
Suggested Activity
At the beginning of the program, have participants make a list
of all the character traits they can think of. To make the activity more
exciting, time the activity (one to two minutes). Then have them rank their list
of character traits in order, numberŒone being the highest. Then discuss the
different character traits they listed. You may want to write them down on an
easel or overhead.
Main Teaching Points
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American society is constantly changing.
Technology, our economic structures, family structures and our
business culture have gone through significant changes during
the past years. In all reality, we live in a fast-paced,
hurry-up society. We need to decide what character traits are
important to the future of our children, families and society.
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Character or moral education has been identified
as a key need for our citizens in America. Many believe that
providing character education at home, in school and in our
communities creates a critical investment for the strength of
our nation.
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Research indicates that the early years of a
child’s life are the best window of opportunity for laying the
foundation for character development in children.
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Michael Josephson of the Josephson Institute - a
character education coalition – holds the view that character
does not develop automatically, nor is it a hereditary trait;
character must be enforced by demand and example.
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Trustworthiness, respect, responsibility,
fairness, caring and citizenship – these six core ethical
values, which the Josephson Institute calls "Pillars of
Character," provide objective criteria to guide our choices.
Even very young children can learn these pillars of character.
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Refer participants to Handout 1, "Six Pillars of
Character." These are one word descriptions of the six pillars
of character to use with young children.
Responsible: do what you’re asked to do by parents
and teachers, keep on trying, always do your best, help family and friends.
Respect: be kind to friends and family, use good
manners, do not hit or hurt others, listen to parents and teachers, deal
with anger peacefully.
Fairness: know and follow the rules, share with your
family and friends, listen to friends and family, do not blame friends or
family, takes turns.
Caring: be kind to people, show friends and family
that you care, say please and thank you, help others in need, and forgives
others.
Citizenship: to cooperate with others, obey the
rules, respect people in charge, not to litter and protect the environment.
Trustworthiness: to tell the truth, follow the rules,
do not to take things that don’t belong to them, to do what you say you will
do.
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The character traits we can instill in the young
children we care for will have a huge impact on society in the
future.
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Refer to "Activities for Teaching Young Children
About Character." These are age-appropriate activities that
parents, grandparents or child care providers could use to help
build character in young children.
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Refer to "A Person of Character."
Another important way that children learn character is through
observing the character of adults they know. Young children will
learn character by role modeling after the adults who care for
them.
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Refer to "Character Book List." Reading books to
young children will help them to understand the concepts of
character. This book list is not exhaustive; there are many
children’s books available on character.
Closing
In order for values to truly be defined and implemented, they
need to be shared with others. As children grow, they become more exposed to the
outside world. They need to know from an early age that their behavior and
assistance can help other people, other than close friends. Involvement with
family, friends and community outreach helps build a child’s self-esteem and
lead to a healthier society.
For more information about character education programs offered
by the Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas, contact your local
county Extension office.
Traci Johnston, Assistant Specialist - Child Care
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