A belief is the strongest foundational element anyone can ever have. If the caring adults in a child’s life believe in him/her, there is no ceiling, no ultimatum and no limitation on how far that young person can go.  The Character Education curriculum taught by hundreds of schools in the Phoenix metropolitan area shows a commitment to kids and to our future citizenry.  Reading, writing and arithmetic are crucial.  Yet, beyond those 3 R’s lies a core of character development that begs attention and artful creation.

What is a Character Education curriculum and why do we need it, anyway?  Shouldn’t parents be building the blocks of character development in their children by having a vision of who the child will become, set goals, teach by example and specific steps?  The short answer form is a definitive and affirmative YES – we need it in our schools and parents should be the first teachers of their children and build that foundation.

In most instances, parents are doing a good job of building character in their children. However, it takes that entire village to raise a succesful and well adjusted kid into adulthood. We are all on board for the task and all have a responsibility for the future – at home and on the planet. Our task over the next few weeks is to talk about each of those character traits. You will see how Character Education builds strong kids into adults that are capable of making sure their efforts are duplicated.  Because character building reflects a belief in kids. Having faith in the future means believing in what you and I can do in the present. 

What do you think are some important character traits that kids should have?  Have you taught any character traits to your children or seen your child’s school teach those special elements of belief?