Set a purpose that underscores the story's message. Rather than expecting children to listen to a story and immediately appreciate it, tell them what to listen for. Set a purpose at the outset of story time. Think about what your early childhood setting will accept and how your students are apt to respond. If you have any doubts whatsoever about a book being offensive to families or ill-suited for children, seek other opinions before sharing it. When books deal with sensitive issues, it is very important to preview them. Character is the sum of all the positive attributes a human being develops. For most of us, some combinations of these, perhaps along with a few others (for example, honesty, generosity, loyalty, and integrity), define a good person. They are regarded for their effects on others-such things as expressing gratitude, showing compassion, learning to share and cooperate, respecting differences, treating others fairly, and demonstrating thoughtfulness. These and other attributes operate mainly from within. For instance, we hope that children will learn to handle powerful emotions, maintain a positive outlook, work hard, exercise self-control, overcome adversity, and attain wisdom. We nurture these characteristics in young children because we prize them in others and strive to develop them in ourselves. There are, however, virtues in human beings on which most of us can agree. The moment that educators begin to discuss character development, objections are raised by those who fear it might preempt family values or venture into religious ground. The picture book complements words with what brain research tells us leaves the most indelible impression: powerful visual images. High-quality picture books are the perfect teaching tool because they deal with powerful emotions, model effective coping strategies, and present complex concepts in developmentally effective ways that even the youngest child can understand. The ability to create, share, and respond to stories is one of our defining characteristics as human beings. Whether it's stories about our families, teachers' stories that capture the wisdom of the profession, or the tales we communicate to children, stories encapsulate life's memorable moments and enduring lessons. The human brain is a remarkable processor of stories, both real and imaginary. Storytelling is a fundamental way in which human beings process and share events as well as the feelings surrounding those experiences.
How can we harness the power of literature and use it to develop positive character traits in young children? They criticized the tricky character in the book for being "mean," "sneaky," "not nice," and "a cheater." The book was instrumental in teaching a subtle yet significant life lesson to the entire class.Ĭhildren's lives are infused with stories at home, at school or the library, and in the media. Although the characters in the story are badgers, and the bad-trade item was a broken tea set, the message about fair play was not missed by the children. After some tears and considerable negotiation, their teacher set things right.Īt story time that day, she shared the picture book classic A Bargain for Frances, by Russell Hoban (HarperCollins, 1978). A shy, barely five-year-old girl arrived at school carrying a big box of crayons "with the points still on." One of her classmates offered to swap them for her set of markers and the proud crayon owner agreed, only to discover that most of the markers were completely dried up.
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