Teaching students about character traits is powerful! I just love seeing the lightbulbs go on when students start seeing themselves in character descriptions. Making connections to home (I am responsible when I clean my room) helps students build confidence in themselves and their abilities at home and at school.
It’s a great time to be a teacher. The educational thinkers of the world are realizing that building up a child’s character through direct instruction comes first and content comes second. (Pssst, teachers knew this all along.)
Using children’s literature to introduce these concepts is one of the most effective ways to do this. It’s not only effective at the beginning of the school year but also throughout the year. Here are a few book suggestions that you can use throughout the year in your classroom to help your students build a strong character foundation. It’s not about “bully prevention”, it’s about empowering students in positive ways and building their confidence to lessen or prevent some negative behaviors from occurring in the first place. These make great read alouds and kids will want to hear them again and again. I call them “old favorites” and my students request to hear them a second or third time throughout the year. {This post contain affiliate links.}
Beginning of the year books:
Self Acceptance, Acceptance of others, Beginning Character development
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill
The Name Jar byYangsook Choi
What if Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McLoud
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig (One of my favorite books!)
A Frog Thing by Eric Drachman
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
Middle to End of the year books:
Similarities and Differences, Acts of Kindness, Friendships, Diversity Social Responsibility
When Pigasoo Met Mootise by Nina Laden
Ordinary Mary by Emily Pearson
Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer S. Holland
The Earth Book by Todd Parr
Rosie Sprout’s Time to Shine by Allison Wortche
Roberto the Insect Architect by Nina Laden
The Dragon and the Unicorn by Lynne Cherry
All the Way to the Ocean by Joel Harper
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