HOW DO WE DEVELOP CHARACTER?
-
We want children to understand the concept that our character is made up of all our virtues. We highlight six key virtues in our products, and each is associated with a "Spruce Street Six" character:
Honesty
Courage (Bravery)
Kindness (Compassion)
Perseverance
Self-Control (Patience)
Fairness (Justice) - We want children to see their virtues in the light of the ideal character. ("How can I improve my character to be the best that I can be?")
- We have to show children the attributes of a "role model" - a person they can emulate. This is critically important. If a child doesn't have a role model to emulate they may not have a clear understanding of how to employ these virtues. (For example: "After the soccer game, my grandfather pointed out to me that the kid on the other team played dirty. He said that he didn't care how good a soccer player he was, if he played dirty. When he said that, I leaned about how we are suppose to be - honest and fair. I learned how to use those two virtues from my role model.")
- We want to allow children opportunities to learn from their mistakes and improve their characters. Developing our character is an iterative process, and part of the improvement process is understanding which vices get us in trouble and focusing on strengthening the corresponding virtue to resist that vice.
- We want younger children to strive to demonstrate virtues to an adult (praise and rewards for good character).
- We want older children also to recognize and embody a specific virtue when it is required to DO the right thing (even when no one is watching).
- We want children to recognize morally charged situations and opportunities to exercise virtue (moral perception).
- We want children not only to do the right things, but to do them for the right reasons (motivations and intentions).
