Teaching Character Traits
The development of character traits is crucial, especially for children who may not have an innate sense of what is appropriate. It is important to remember that what may seem like common sense to adults may not be the same for children. Similar to sports, character traits require practice and coaching to develop. To aid in this process, I have decided to create a series of posts that focus on character traits found in Thornton W. Burgess books. Each post will include a brief description of a specific trait and a variety of links to activities and book suggestions that further define the trait.
Teaching Through Literature
Let’s be honest: not all character traits are positive. Though we want our children to learn and develop the “good” ones, each of us experience weakness and difficulty in certain areas of our lives. This is no different for children. Talking about negative traits and reading stories about others who struggle with similar issues is especially beneficial to children. It gives them the reassurance that they are not alone in experiencing negative behavior and helps them identify ways in which to change it.
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Below I have organized a list of character traits that appear often in the Burgess stories. I also included the opposite trait in parenthesis. Each set of traits will eventually have a link to a post for ideas, activities, and resources for teaching and guiding your children.
(Rejection/Bullying)
(Carelessness)
(Uncaring/Unkind)
(Dissatisfied/Ungrateful)
(Fearfulness)
(Uninterested)
(Unmotivated)
(Stubbornness)
(Greediness/Stealing)
(Unhelpful/Unfriendly)
(Dishonest/Untrustworthy)
(Unhappy/Upset)
(Disobedience/Misbehaved)
(Impatient/Frustrated)
(Incapable)
(Disrespectful/Rude)
(Unforgiving/Grudging)