Children are faced with difficult decisions on a daily basis. Standing up to bullies, striving for high grades and resisting the temptation to cheat or test classroom limits are frequent school-age quandaries. Parents expect teachers to help them prepare children to face these challenges by equipping them with the critical thinking skills needed to make the best choices. Character development programs seek to address these concerns by outlining a set of specific teaching goals designed to empower children and help them excel.
Create a Strong School Community
Most character education programs seek to create strong school communities that value education and social responsibility to help students more fully reach their potential. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that, based on longitudinal studies of adolescent health, strong school communities are associated with higher grades and test scores, and lower incidences of problem behaviors such as drunk driving and teen pregnancy. In response, character education programs emphasize the importance of the school community for personal growth and safety.
Develop Core Ethical Values
Students with strong values work harder, are less likely to cheat or cut corners and are better behaved. This not only translates into better grades and test scores, but also into harder working, more successful adults. If school is intended to train and prepare children to succeed as honest, hard-working adults, then character education provides them with the foundation needed to develop these values. For example, when children are encouraged to be courageous, they are more able to stand up to bullies in school and to ask for a promotion as an adult. Similarly, placing value on honesty may help children resist the impulse to cheat on tests and possibly in later years at work.
Ethical Reasoning and Critical Thought
Strong character education programs teach children to think critically about the information given and to apply that critical analysis to the decision-making process. This enables your child to better resist peer pressure and make better choices. For instance, a middle-schooler may come under strong pressure to allow another student to copy her homework. She might be afraid that the student will hurt her emotionally or physically if she doesn't comply, but she is torn because she knows cheating is wrong. Training in critical thinking techniques not only reinforces her opinion that she is being asked to do something unethical, but it helps her analyze the situation to find practical solutions to her problem.
Better Grades and Test Scores
Creating an atmosphere where learning is not only expected but admired, helps students strive to achieve their best. Character education programs that stress hard work, perseverance, creativity and strong performance from an early age help create an atmosphere that fosters these attributes. Consider school communities where children are teased and singled out negatively for excelling in class. Strong students in these environments often feel the need to hide their gifts and pretend to be average. Character education programs strive to counteract these perceptions and develop school communities where excelling is openly praised.
