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It’s never too early to start teaching your child character education.
As an 11 year school counselor, character education is a huge part of what I do everyday whether indirectly through conversations with my students or directly through classroom guidance lessons.
After 7 years as a middle school counselor, I have returned to elementary school. It’s so exciting to shift gears and also be on the same schedule with my elementary aged children.
One of the things I love about working with elementary aged children is that they are little sponges and (most of the time) they are eager to please.
When I come to their classrooms, they are excited to see me and excited to learn.
When we talk about being kind to each other and appreciating differences, they genuinely want to learn more, even if that hasn’t been modeled for them at home.
It’s so important to instill good character sooner than later–even if you start with simple conversations.
If you don’t know where to start, then use books to guide your conversations.
Here are a few of my favorite character education books that are perfect for early elementary aged children:
Llama Llama Mess Mess Mess
Llama Llama Mess Mess Mess is another great addition to the Llama Llama installment. Llama Llama ignores his mother when she tells him it is time to clean up.
He ignores his mother, but she has a creative way of getting him to take responsibility for his actions.
This story was perfect for my children because they often whine about cleaning up, even when I talk to them about being responsible for their areas.
This book had such a great message that I took it to school to share with my elementary aged students.
All 3 of my children love these books because of the graphics and the story. As a mom, I love the Llama Llama collection because it teaches important lessons in a fun and practical way.
Real MVP Kids Books
I cannot say enough good things about these books.
From the diversity in language, disabilities, culture, race & family dynamics, these books not only teach character education, but also give kids the tools to solve real life problems. The books follow MVP kids characters from toddlers to adolescents.
The books also offer extended guidance to parents and caretakers and have talking points at the end of each book. They are also a great tool for educators and the classroom!
Those Shoes
Every child can relate to wanting something that other children have, and sometimes not getting it.
In this story, Jeremy wants a pair of shoes that everyone else at school has. He finds a pair at a thrift shop and gets them even though they are the wrong size.
This book touches on so many great lessons, and as a mom with a son and daughters, I love that the main character is a brown boy.
It’s the perfect book to help you discuss wants vs needs, empathy and kindness with your children.
Need help finding more age appropriate books for your kids? Head over to my Amazon Shop for a list!
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