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Character
Education for Preschools
by
Thomas Hearn, principal
Character
education for preschools is a weighty responsibility, and one that demands
a teacher's best efforts, for it is in these early years that the child's future
character is greatly determined. Teachers who labor to build character in a young
child are like workers who lay the foundation upon which a tall building will
stand. To change the metaphor, they are like gardeners pruning and shaping young
fruit trees to make them structurally sound, and ready to produce high quality
fruit.
Character
education for preschool years is a responsibility that demands skill, proper
tools, time, patience, consistency, and persistence. It demands time, and any
attempt to get by without daily, frequent effort in this area is doomed to failure.
It has been written that teaching must be done, "Line upon line, line upon
line, a little here, a little there."1 |
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That
is the picture of strong character education: it permeates the day. It is unsatisfied
until character knowledge becomes character in action. Are
we saying that character education in the preschool is to be somber and heavy?
Not at all. Effective character building can be fun and exciting, eagerly anticipated
by both students and teachers. Character education lesson plans can weave the
study into every area of the preschool day. Emphasizing a single character trait
for a month, the perceptive teacher will seek out materials that bridge the gaps
between disciplines: character books that convey the trait in story form; character
songs that carry the message deeper; character crafts that provide tactile learning;
and take-home items to extend the learning into the home. Character education
travels a variety of avenues to address every learning style. Character
education for preschools may not be at the top of our priority lists, but
speaking as a principal, I would say that it should be near the top. If we insist
that children learn the alphabet and their numbers, but spend little time on character,
we have taught them that character is secondary, not that character counts. Yet
character education is of great value, and can revolutionize our schools and our
society. Character education leads to safer schools. Character education leads
to improved academic grades, fewer classroom disruptions, and fewer trips to the
principal's office. If we, with character, fulfill this responsibility, the children
we teach will carry the lessons throughout school and into adulthood, not as mere
head knowledge, but as character in action.
Footnote:
1.
The Holy Bible – Isaiah
28:10 | |
