For a lot of people, teaching godly character is less a matter of workbooks and role-playing, and more a matter of daily instruction. Whenever a "teachable moment" presents itself, we point out the virtuous act, the proper response, the selfless attitude, the proper way to hold a fork, and how to address adults in conversation.
Our character resources section could stand to grow (we're working on it!), but it's a slow process because we're looking for titles that treat good behavior as an integral part of life rather than a school subject or an excuse for busy work. There are some worktexts here, still, but they're generally the kind oriented toward getting kids to think about how they act than just making them fill in blanks.
Teaching Character Through Literature is one of the more unique books we've found. Published by Beautiful Feet Press, it includes information concerning more than 180 books that are both great literature for kids and morally instructive. Right Choices is a picture book from Kenneth Taylor introducing kids to the issues of moral dilemmas and decision-making.
A particularly helpful pair of books for helping kids think and behave wisely are the Proverbs People workbooks from Rick and Marilyn Boyer. Students learn personal ethics straight from the book of Proverbs, gaining important Bible study skill at the same time. While there is written work involved, readers are genuinely forced to grapple with issues they might otherwise ignore.
There are a variety of possible approaches to teaching your kids the principles of good character and godly living. We encourage a more organic approach than that presented in many character curriculum choices, though supplements can help get kids to think directly about what they do, why they do it, and how they can avoid doing what they know they shouldn't. Any Gospel-oriented approach is a good one; otherwise, you're simply manipulating behavior instead of molding hearts and minds.
Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews
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