Goodman found that children learn lessons of morality best when they are involved and participating in their own instruction rather than having the lessons handed down from an authority figure.
A professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, she and co-author Usha Balamore explore these principles in their new book, "Teaching Goodness," published by Allyn and Bacon Co. Balamore is a kindergarten teacher at the Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pa.
Goodman analyzed Balamore's teaching methods for three years and found that other strategies that build a sense of morality in children include:
- Creating an atmosphere of trust.
- Cultivating patience.
- Encouraging children to learn from their mistakes.
- Emphasizing respect and responsibility.
- Building a relationship that is caring, genuine and personalized.
"This is the way to teach," Goodman said. "Usha's style blends both direct and indirect teaching methods and often allows the children to choose their own activities."
Balamore keeps her students engaged by using an exciting theme to carry through the year. One year, she capitalized on the popularity of the Disney movie "Hercules" and asked the children to come up with their own definitions of what it means to be a hero. She encouraged the students to believe that they themselves could become heroes by being good and altruistic.
When the children were learning about a princess who lived in a castle, they were asked to come up with different types of houses, including the ones they live in. Then they described the qualities that make a house a home, including "singing, dancing, jumping on the bed, and good food." Balamore then asked the children to reflect on what it must be like to be homeless and figure out ways to help. At Thanksgiving, the class cooked meals for the homeless and collected clothes to be donated to the local shelter.
Note to editors and reporters: Copies of the book are available upon request.
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