Here at Teacher Time to Go we are all about providing academic support through an individualized approach. It’s vital for children to have a strong education but we also see huge value in developing positive character traits in children. Modeling and promoting these traits will help children immensely in school and in life. We’ve gathered some books that specifically teach character traits in a fun and engaging way. Take a look and see how you can use these books with your child!
Kindness
To promote kindness try reading Pass it On by Sophy Henn. This colorful book is about finding awe in the things around you and sharing them with others to spread the happiness. Kids will love the repetitions words, “pass it on”, and will start saying them with you! It’s a heart-warming book that promotes joy and sharing that joy with others. After reading the book with your child, encourage your child to be on the lookout for good throughout the day. At the end of the day, reflect by sharing one amazing thing you saw or experienced and having your child share something from their day as well.
Manners
Teaching the use of polite manners is a no-brainer. The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle shows the difference between what happens when you don’t use your manners and when you do. In the book the ladybug wants to fight everyone he meets. Kids will laugh as the animals get larger and larger throughout the story. By the end, the ladybug learns that using manners and being kinder is a better choice. Using manners can easily be applied to home. Showing your children that they won’t get what they want, like the ladybug, without using their manners is a good place to start.
Helping Others
In The Spiffiest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson, a gentle giant notices that those around him need assistance. The giant decides to help by literally giving others the clothes off his back. Sometimes the clothes help warm animals or provide a sail for a boat. Regardless the reason, this book shows that helping others is easy and makes both the helper and the recipient happy. After reading the book try asking your child who they would like to help. Maybe they want to help a sibling by picking up their toys for them. Or take it outside the house and help those who need food by volunteering at a food bank. Whatever they decide to do, make sure to talk about how they felt doing it and how they think the recipient felt.
Empathy
Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners by Laurie Keller emphasizes being a good friend and simply treating people (or animals in this case) the way you’d like to be treated. Concrete ways to be friendly and to share are mentioned with humorous illustrations to match. After reading, you can help your child brainstorm ways they would like to treated at home and school. Then flip the script and have them plan some ways to treat others in the same manner.
Teaching positive character traits early on in your child’s life is essential. Using these books to introduce the concepts, modeling positive character traits and encouraging your child to demonstrate the traits will lead to desired results. Do you have any book recommendations to add to the list? Or maybe some ideas or activities to promote positive traits? Let us know in the comments!
Wishing you well,
Sarah