Using Books to Teach Character Traits

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I was very fortunate to be gifted a copy of The Inventing Tubes, by Bryony Supper! This book is a lesson on patience and following instructions. Bryony Supper has created a cute set of characters of “Pasta Kidz” that teach character traits through a series of books. Using books to teach character traits can help children understand why we want them to be patient, kind, etc. and that it benefits them to learn how to be patient. 

After reading the story with my students I wanted to write to you all about how using books such as this one to teach can be very beneficial for your child.

Book Summary

Why This Book is Helpful

My students do not want to go through the design process or follow instructions. In other words, they are just like Sarah Spaghetti. Most of my students want to jump right into building without doing any research or designing.

The book shows that when we skip steps or ignore instructions, we don’t get the outcome that we were hoping for. Sarah’s invention did not do what she had hoped and actually caused some problems!

After reading, we related this to the design process, which is what we are always practicing in our class.

I asked the students what happens when we skip the “Ask” step in the process. If we don’t take the time to establish WHAT the problem is, we can’t solve it!

What happens when we skip the “Explore” step? Should we start building without taking the time to do some research on the topic and brainstorm some different designs?

The students started to recognize that when we skip steps or rush through without reading instructions, we can’t be successful in what we are trying to create.

After reading I asked the kids what they liked about the Pasta Kidz. Some of the responses were:

“I like their pasta hair!”

“The magic tubes sing!”

“The people say silly words.”

“I like the pictures.”

If you want some great ideas for other activities to do with your kids, make sure to sign up for our email list to receive my list of “100 Indoor Activities To Do on a Rainy Day.”

Why Using Books to Teach Character Traits and Values is Important

Little kids love stories and teaching values and character traits through stories is a great strategy. Children learn through stories and experiences.

We can tell our kids all day long that they should be patient, but when we show them through a fun story that gives a reason WHY they should be patient, the message comes through a little clearer.

My students were able to relate the story to their life. This made us able to discuss more effectively. They were then able to explain in their own language why having enough patience to go through the steps made their “inventions.”

Other Books That Teach Patience

Babushka’s Doll -Patricia Polacco

Waiting is not Easy  -Mo Willems

Remy the Rhino Learns Patience - Andy McGuire

How to Use Books to Teach Character Traits 

Get Them Talking

The most important thing when using books to teach your children is to engage your child in discussion. Even little kids can talk about what they are reading. For preschoolers this is much simpler and surface level than when reading with a 10 year old.

Think about when you hear a teacher do a read aloud. Most teachers are very purposeful with the book they chose and the questions they ask. It might seem like it just naturally happens but the teacher has planned out each question and think aloud. Don’t think that you need to plan out an entire lesson plan! But if you are trying to instill a specific value make your conversations very purposeful. This takes thinking ahead.

Purposeful Reading

Usually, when reading at home, we are just reading the story because our kid picked it off the shelf. Sometimes we notice things and point them out. Sometimes we ask questions. Other times we read it straight through trying to get our kids to go to bed. When reading to teach, it is important to read purposefully (I am the “Purposeful Mommy,” after all).

Using books to teach patience or any other topic takes a bit more focus than when we are just reading for fun. Don’t just trust that the child will pick up what you are intending without a little guidance. Think about what it is that you want your child to take away from this story. Are you trying to get your child to be more patient? To share? To use kind words? Then find a book that illustrates the importance of what you are trying to show them.

Pre-Reading

Take some time to read the story beforehand and think about what you want your child to gain from it. What questions will get them thinking? This does not take very much time and aftewards your read aloud become much more purposeful. 

You also want to think about how you can help them make a connection to real life. Help them see that what you are teaching brings value to their every day.

This can be done through questioning and thinking out loud. You can have your child make a prediction, make a connection, or summarize what they just read.

Use post-its or jot down a couple of notes to think of some questions and thoughts to say while you read. I also write what I am hoping that my child (or students) will take from it. This does not take a lot of time and really helps to make sure that you talk about some key points.

For instance, to draw attention to the fact that the character was being impatient, you can ask, “Why didn’t Sarah read the instructions?” She was impatient/She was rushing.

If you want some great ideas for other activities to do with your kids, make sure to sign up for our email list to receive my list of “100 Indoor Activities To Do on a Rainy Day.”

What Kind of Questions Should I Ask?

It is important that your questions are not yes or no and that you don’t JUST ask summarizing questions like the one above. Some are good to make sure that your child understands or is picking up the right detail. I asked this question to my students because I wanted the connection to be made between patience and reading instructions. A child might not see the two as related problems.

You should also ask questions to get your child to make deeper connections. You might think 5 or 6-year-olds can’t do this but they can when you ask the right questions!

For example: What are some other ways that being impatient can turn out bad? When mama doesn’t read her recipe/When we don’t listen to the rules of a game… etc

Give it a Try

Is your child having trouble with patience? What about kindness or sharing?

Look through your library and see if there’s something that fits with what you would like to focus on with your child. Make sure it’s a story that they can enjoy and make a connection! Using books to teach patience or any other character trait or life skill is a great strategy to get children thinking about WHY these traits make life better and help them be happier.

Interested in getting a copy of The Inventing Tubes?

You can also learn more about the Pasta Petz and the author, Bryony Supper at https://www.pastakidz.co.uk/.

To read about teaching kids to be apologetic and see a review on Bryony Supper’s second book, The Sorry Sticks, go read my post on how to raise apologetic children!

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