Carl B. Smith directs the ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication

at Indiana University and the Family Learning Association, Bloomington, Ind.

       What if your school asked you to provide a character education program next semester?  On what basis would you build your curriculum?

      The possibility of that assignment is not far-fetched.  The character education movement is growing across Indiana and across the nation.  Thanks to funds from the federal government, every state in the country now has an office to coordinate and promote character education in schools and communities. 

      Governor Frank O’Bannon and the Indiana State Legislature added funds to establish a Center for Character Development at Anderson University.  Working together with the State Department of Education, the Anderson Center holds workshops to show teachers and parents how to encourage honesty, courage, courtesy, caring, and cooperation.  That brings us back to the question:  How would you prepare a curriculum in your school if you were asked to do so?

Which character traits?

      First you would probably identify the particular character traits that you will target, e.g., sharing and living peaceably.  Then you might wonder how you will help students understand and practice these desirable traits.  ERIC and the Family Learning Association suggest using children’s books as an excellent medium for showing positive traits in action.  Books, of course, provide the perfect stimuli for discussions about the behavior of characters and the decisions that they make in the story. ERIC researched existing character education programs; extracted a set of common character traits; and selected books, Web sites, and activities that help students see positive traits in action, think about them, and discuss their own reactions.  It is then easy for students to carry out activities that help them to develop the positive behaviors that they choose.  ERIC put all of this information, and much more, in a book entitled Developing Character Through Literature by Evelyn Holt Otten.

Traits found in books

       The following major traits are discussed and shown with sample lesson plans in

Developing Character Through Literature (sample books are in parentheses):

      hResponsibility (Shiloh.  Phyllis Reynolds Naylor)

      hHonesty (On My Honor.  Marion Dane Bauer)

      hCaring (Sarah, Plain and Tall.  Patricia MacLachlan)

      hCivility (Harriet the Spy.  Louise Fitzhugh)

      hLiving peaceably (Kids on Strike!  Susan Campbell Bartoletti)

     hThe golden rule (Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast.  Robin                  McKinley)

      hRespect (Chernowitz!  Fran Arrick)

      hDiscussing faith-based issues (Ordinary Magic.  Malcolm Bosse)

       We know that fiction is not written specifically to build character, but we believe that it can help students to think about integrity and who they want to be.  With the help of books and related resources, teachers and parents can take advantage of the natural discussion opportunities that arise from reading books.

      Book events enable them to ask non-threatening, thought-provoking questions like:

      ●    What did you think of that behavior?

      ●    Why do you think the character acted that way?

       ●    How else could she or he have responded?

       Whether you are just curious about character development or are looking for major curriculum resources or suggestions about heroes of character, you can get a good start on the ERIC Web site: <http://eric.indiana.edu/chared/>.  Or you can call ERIC with your questions: 1-800-759-4723.  Remember that books open the door for discussing character traits, and ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication is your link to the resources that make your work easier.