Helping Your Child Learn Responsible Behavior |
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Introduction | ||
Our children deserve to learn important lessons from us and to acquire important habits with our help. They need help in learning what matters to us. We want our children to grow up to be responsible adults. We want them to learn to feel, think, and act with respect for themselves and for other people. We want them to pursue their own well-being, while also being considerate of the needs and feelings of others. Today, there is wide recognition that many of our children are not learning to act responsibly while they are young. Studies show that many children see nothing wrong with cheating on tests. Some see nothing wrong with taking things that don’t belong to them. If proper attitudes and behavior are not learned early, problems can mushroom with even worse consequences when children are older. As crime has increased, teen-age offenders have shown less and less feeling for their victims. But even for the youngsters who will never commit a crime, it is better to learn responsibility when they are young, rather than when they are older and they have to change bad habits. This article focuses on practical suggestions for helping young children appreciate the importance of acting responsibly in their everyday lives. Further, it provides ideas on how to help them make responsible choices, and stick with them, even when doing so is hard and the material rewards are few.
What Do We Mean By Responsibility?
Respect and Compassion for OthersAs part of bring responsible, children need to respect and show concern for the well-being of other people. Respect ranges from using basic manners to having compassion for the suffering of others. Compassion is developed by trying to see things from the point of view of others, and learning that their feelings resemble our own.
Daddy, why was Grandma crying?She is very sad. One of her closest friends just died. Come and sit with me. Do you remember how you felt when your gerbil, Whiskers, died? Honesty
Honesty means telling the truth. It means not misleading others for our own benefit. It also means trying to make decisions, especially important ones, on the basis of evidence rather than prejudice. Honesty includes dealing with other people and being honest with ourselves. CourageCourage is taking a position and doing what is right, even at the risk of some loss. It means being neither reckless nor cowardly, but faring up to our duties. It includes physical courage, intellectual courage to make decisions on the basis of evidence, and moral courage to stand up for our principles.
Good for you. It was right to be scared. Lots of people are nice, but some are very mean. They can hurt you. The mean ones sometimes try to fool people by pretending to be nice. Now, tell me, what did the man look like? Self-Control
Self-control is the ability to resist inappropriate behavior in order to act responsibly. It relates to all of the different aspects of responsibility mentioned so far, including respect and compassion for others, honesty, and courage. It involves persistence and sticking to long-term commitments. It also includes dealing effectively with emotions, such as anger, and developing patience. Self-RespectPeople with self-respect take satisfaction in appropriate behavior and hard-won accomplishments. They don’t need to put others down or have a lot of money in order to respect themselves. People who respect themselves also view selfishness, loss of self-control, recklessness, cowardice, and dishonesty as wrong and unworthy of them. As they mature, if they have learned the lessons of responsibility, they will develop a good conscience to guide them. How Can Parents Encourage Responsible Behavior?Everyday ExperiencesEspecially when they are young, children learn best about responsibility in concrete situations. What they do and what they witness have lasting effects. Most of the activities described in this book are for you and your child. We are always teaching our children something by our words and actions. They learn from seeing. They learn from hearing. They learn from overhearing. They learn from us, from each other, from other adults, and by themselves. All of us acquire habits by doing things over and over again, whether in learning to play a musical instrument, to pick up after ourselves, to play games and sports, or to share with others. The best way to encourage our children to become responsible is to act as responsibly as we can in their presence. We must genuinely try to be the sort of people we hope they will try to become. We can show them by our words and by our actions that we respect others. We can show them our compassion and concern when others are suffering. They need to see our own self-control, courage, and honesty. They need to learn that we treat ourselves, as well as others, with respect, and that we always try to do our best. As they grow older, they should have the chance to learn why we live as we do.
As our children watch us daily, as we talk to them encouraging their questions and trying to answer them thoughtfully, they begin to understand us—and we begin to understand them. Understanding each other well is the best way to teach our children respect for our ideals of good character.
Using Literature and StoriesChildren learn about responsibility through many activities, including reading stories. They learn by identifying with individual characters or because the message from a favorite story strikes a particular chord. Children can be touched deeply by good literature, and they may ask to have things read to them again and again. Children can learn all sorts of lessons from stories. They might learn about courage by reading about David standing up to Goliath. Or they might learn the value of persistence and effort from The Little Engine That Could. When they are older, reading can help prepare children for the realities and responsibilities of adulthood. It is usually better for children to read a good book about such things as war, oppression, suicide, or deadly disease before seeing these things up close. When our children grow up they often remember stories that were told to them by family members when they were young. When we tell stories to our children, we should remember old favorites of ours, like The Three Little Pigs, not leaving out a single time the wolf says, “I’LL HUFF, and I’LL PUFF, and I’LL BLOW YOUR HOUSE IN!”
Developing Judgment and ThoughtfulnessJudgment on ethical issues is a practical matter. Children develop their capacity for judging what is a responsible act, just as they come to appreciate the meaning of responsibility, through practice. Especially when they are young, children need to see moral questions in terms that are meaningful to them.
We can also help our children develop good judgment by talking through complicated situations with them. One way is to help them understand the long-term consequences of different choices. If they tell us about a story they have read, we might ask them to imagine what the result might have been if a favorite character had acted differently. Sometimes, it can be difficult to know the difference between acting bravely and acting recklessly or how to balance duties when they conflict. As parents, we can help by making it clear, through what we do as well as what we say, that it is important in such situations to think carefully and honestly about what should be done, as well as to keep in mind how others will be affected by what we do. Your child’s ability to reason about different issues, including ethical ones, will improve as your child matures. Just as reasoning can lead to a more thoughtful understanding of responsibility, or what actions to take in complicated situations, it may also become easier to rationalize selfish or reckless behavior. But if you have helped your young child develop strong habits of considering the welfare of others, honesty, courage, and admiration for worthy accomplishments, your child will have a solid foundation on which to build.
Activities As parents, sometimes we think that we must set aside particular times or create special situations in order to teach our children. But that is far from the truth when it comes to learning about responsibility. While it is important to have some times together when you won’t be disturbed, the most ordinary situations in everyday life are filled with opportunities for sound teaching, if parents pay attention to them. This booklet contains activities to encourage habits of responsibility in your child. Most of them are not, however, the kind of activities that you can do together for half an hour once a week. Instead, they are more like rules of thumb, ideas to build on. They illustrate the concepts introduced in the previous sections. They should stimulate your own thinking and your own ideas. Just remember one thing: teaching our children about responsibility doesn’t mean that we can’t laugh or that we have to be grim. Our children should see that we can be serious about our principles, while still being able to play and have fun.
Getting To Know Others
Children need to be shown and taught respect for others. What to do
1. Set a good example by acting respectfully toward others. Always make clear that prejudice is wrong and that all of us are equals, no matter our color, gender, or background. 3. Encourage your child to learn about many different lands and people, to learn more than one language, and to read stories about children from all over the world. Show your child how you try to see things from the point of view of others.
We can help our children understand that there are often things to learn from those who lived in the past and from those whose lives are different from our own. We can teach our children to behave respectfully toward people and not pre-judge them. Sometimes, however, we must make it clear that some people behave in ways that are harmful, and such behavior should not be tolerated. Magic Words, Caring Deeds
The magic words are “please” and “thank you.” There are other manners we are constantly teaching our children as well. What you’ll need
What to do1. Show your children the manners you expect at home first.
Children need to learn that little signs of appreciation can be very important to other people. And manners are a part of respecting and caring for the feelings of others. If we turn the chore of learning manners into a game, children will get the practice they need without embarrassing us or themselves. Gifts From the Heart
Have your child give a gift of himself at the next holiday or any time he wants to do something nice for someone else. What you’ll need
What To Do1. Talk to your child about gift giving. What does it mean to give something to someone else?
Most young children don’t have money to buy a gift for a friend or relative. You can teach your child that a gift that shows effort and attention can mean more than a gift from the store. Honesty, the Best Policy
Children need to learn that benefiting from manipulating or lying to others is dishonest and unworthy of them.
What to do1. Tell the story about the boy who cried “Wolf!” so many times to get attention that when the wolf finally came, no one believed him. 3. Be careful to follow through on things you say to your child. Commitments that may seem minor to you can mean a lot to your child. Make promises and keep them.
Our children need to learn about the importance of trusting each other in our everyday lives. Without honesty, trust becomes impossible. There’s A Monster In My Room
Sometimes our children have needless fears that we can help them overcome. What to do
1. Listen when your child mentions a fear, even if it sounds silly to you.
Children should learn not to allow others to mistreat them. At the same time, we want them to learn how to reach understandings peacefully, whenever possible. Bully
Children should learn not to allow others to mistreat them. At the same time, we want them to learn how to reach understandings peacefully, whenever possible.
What to do1. Listen to your child and find out if others are not treating your child as they should. This will encourage your child to trust you and come to you when there is a problem.
A part of self-respect is not tolerating mistreatment by others. Finding appropriate ways to deal with unpleasant behavior by others is an important, if sometimes difficult, part of growing up. Helping Out
Our children need to learn that as they get older and can contribute more, more will be expected of them. What to do
1. As your child matures, consider additional ways your child can contribute to the household.
Doing chores is a useful way to learn persistence and to learn that when we live up to our responsibilities we enable others to trust and rely on us. A Job Well Done
We need to show our children that we take satisfaction in acting properly and accomplishing difficult tasks. What to do
1. Through your daily activities, show your children that you care about a job well done.
Helping our children form self-respect is based on how we treat them and our own example. Our Heroes
Many children love to look at portraits or photographs, especially if you can tell them stories about the people in the pictures. What you’ll need
What to do
1. Select a photo of a person in your family with an impressive quality or accomplishment. Tell your child about the person and about what the person did. Perhaps your grandparents had the courage to immigrate from another country or your parents sacrificed in order to support you in school. Talk about the results of these actions. 2. Collect photographs from newspapers or magazines about impressive people in your community. With your child, talk about their actions that merit admiration or praise. 3. In addition to relatives or others, you may want to display portraits of other people who deserve our admiration and respect. A picture of Anne Frank, a young girl who wrote a diary while she and her family lived in hiding from Nazi Germans and who died in a concentration camp, can inspire conversation about courage and compassion for others. A portrait of Martin Luther King, a great civil rights leader who believed in nonviolent change, can lead to discussions of great accomplishment despite prejudice. Choose people whom you admire and feel comfortable talking to your child about.
By stories we tell about the people we admire, we can inspire children and remind them of those qualities we think are important. Oops!
Sometimes, as parents, we don’t act the way we should in front of our children. What to do
1. Try to be honest with yourself and your child if you find that you’ve done something that sets a bad example. Sometimes we need to think a little about an event to realize that we’ve done something inappropriate.
It’s important that our children, especially older ones, see that we face up to our own mistakes. Will You Be My Friend
Our children need to learn to choose their friends wisely. What to do
1. Talk to your child about what is important in a friend. In addition to bring fun, what other qualities are important? What about honesty, dependability, a real interest in your child’s welfare?
Our children should learn that it is important to choose friends and companions who care about others and act responsibly. Share a Story
One important way parents can help their children learn respect for others, self-control, or other aspects of responsibility is through the use of fables or stories. You can read to your child, you can read with your child, and you can encourage your child to read on his own. What you’ll need.
What to do.
1. Turn off the TV or other distractions.
Stories can be good ways to learn important lessons. Your child can identify with characters in meaningful situations without your having to lecture. |
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BibliographyIntroductionReading to and reading with children can help them learn responsible behavior. Finding good books, however, requires time and thought. Librarians and teachers can offer valuable assistance. This section is divided into three lists: Beginning (ages1-6); Intermediate (ages 6-9); and Advanced (ages 9 and up). The age levels overlap and are only rough guides. Please note that some entries have annotations identifying specific habits of character such as courage, self-control, and responsibility.
______. Little House. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1978. De Brunhoff, Jean. The Story Babar. New York: Dragonfly Books, 1989. Luttrell, Ida. Three Good Blankets. Illustrated by Michael McDermott. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1990. [Kindness; Helping Each Other] McCloskey, Robert. Blueberries for Sal. New York: Puffin, 1989. Blos, Joan W. A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl’s Journal, 1830-32. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1979. [Family Commitment; Friendship; Perserverance; Humor] Blume, Judy. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Illustrated by Roy Doty. New York: Dutton, 1972. [Family Commitment; Humor] Brink, Carol R. Caddie Woodlawn. Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1973. [Family Commitment; Respect for Home and the Natural World; Humor] Burnett, Frances Hodgson. Little Lord Fauntleroy, New York: Chaikin, Miriam. Exodus. Illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak. New York: Holiday House, 1987. Cleary, Beverly. Dear Mr. Henshaw. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. New York: Dell, 1984. [Divorce] Cohen, Barbara. Thank You, Jackie Robinson. Illustrated by Richard Cuffari. New York: Lothrop, 1988. Conrad, Pam. Pedro’s Journal. A Voyage with Christopher Columbus. Philadelphia: Boyds Mills Press, 1991. [Courage; Self-Reliance; Work Well Done] Dalgliesh, Alice. The Courage of Sarah Noble. Illustrated by Leonard Weisgard. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1986. [Courage; Respect for Home and the Natural World] D’Aulaire, Ingri & Edgar P. D’Aulaire. Book of Greek Myths. New York: Doubleday, 1980. ______. Wheel on the School. Various editions. Farley, Walter. The Black Stallion. Illustrated by Keith Ward. New York: Random House, 1977. MOVIE: “The Black Stallion”, 1979. Field, Eugene. Poems of Childhood. New York: Airmont, 1969. ______. Wynken, Blynken, & Nod. New York: Putnam, 1986. Fitzgerald, John. The Great Brain. Illustrated by Mercer Mayer. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1985. [Family Commitment] Freedman, Russell. Lincoln: A Photobiography. New York: Ticknor & Fields, 1987. [Justice; Courage; Responsibility; Aspiration] ______. The Double Life of Pocahontas. Illustrated by Ed Young. Putnam, 1983. [Courage] Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows. Various editions. [Friendship] Hahn, Mary D. Stepping on the Cracks. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1991. [Generous Understanding] Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Wonder Book. New York: Airmont. Homer. The Children’s Homer; The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy. Retold by Padraic Colum. Illustrated by Willy Pagany. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1982. [Careful Thinking; Imagination; Perseverance; Respect for Home and the Natural World; Family Commitment] ______. The Return of Odysseus. Adapted by I.M. Richardson. Illustrated by Hal Frenck. Mahwah, New Jersey: Troll Associates, 1984. [Family Commitment; Courage; Perseverance; Love] ______. The Wooden Horse. Adapted by I.M. Richardson. Illustrated by Hal Frenck. Mahwah, New Jersey: Troll Associates, 1984. [Careful Thinking; Imagination] Howe, Deborah & James. Bunnicula; A Rabbit Tale of Mystery. Illustrated by Alan Daniel. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1979. [Humor] Jennings, Judi. Why Work? Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 1989. [Work Well Done; Self-Control & Responsibility; Self-Knowledge] Kipling, Rudyard. The Jungle Book. Various editions. Lewis, C. S. The Chronicles of Narnia (Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe) series. Various editions [Friendship; Courage; Unselfishness; Self-Knowledge] Little, Jean. Hey, World, Here I Am. Illustrated by Sue Truesdell. New York: HarperCollins, 1989. ______. Stars Come Out Within. New York: Viking, 1991. [Self-Reliance; Courage] Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. Paul Revere’s Ride. Illustrated by Nancy W. Parker. New York: Greenwillow, 1985. [Courage] Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1989. [Justice; Courage; Family Commitment; Self-Knowledge] MacDonald, George. Princess & the Goblin and The Princess & Curdie. Various editions. [Courage] MacLachlan, Patricia. Sarah, Plain & Tall. New York: ______. Mary McLeod Bethune: A Great Teacher. [Helping Each Other; Aspiration] ______. Halloween A B C. Illustrated by Lane Smith. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1987. [Poems] Myers, Walter D. Now is Your Time! The African-American Struggle for Freedom. New York: HarperCollins, 1991. [Courage] O’Hara, Mary. My Friend Flicka (first of a trilogy; Thunderhead, Son Flicka and The Green Grass of Wyoming). New York: HarperCollins, 1988.[Courage; Loyalty; Family Commitment] Philip, Neil. The Tale of Sir Gawain. Illustrated by Charles Keeping. New York: Putnam, 1987. [Courage; Loyalty] Pyle, Howard. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. New York: Rockwell, Thomas. How to Eat Fried Worms. Illustrated by Emily McMully. New York: Watts, 1973. [Humorl Sandburg, Carl. Rootabaga Stories. Illustrated by Michael Hague. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988. Selden, George. The Cricket in Times Square series. Illustrated by Garth Williams. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1960. [Friendship; Humor; Kindness] Sewall, Marcia. The Pilgrims Plimoth. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1986. [Courage; Perseverance; Justice; Kindness; Helping Each Other] Spyri, Jobanna. Heidi. Various editions. [Love; Respect for Home and the Natural World; Generous Understanding; Kindness] Stevenson, Robert Louis. Black Arrow. Various editions. [Friendship; Courage; Justice; Serf-Knowledge] ______. Treasure Island. Illustrated by N. C. Wyeth. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1981. [Justice; Courage; Generous Understanding] Stolz, Mary. Barkham Street Trilogy: Dog on Barkham Street; Bully of Barkham Street; Explorer of Barkham Street. New York: HarperCollins, 1989. [Self-Knowledge; Courage] Tooze, Ruth. Our Rice Village in Cambodia. Illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats. New York: Viking, 1963. Viorst, Judith. Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Illustrated by Ray Cruz. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1976. [Humor] Vo-Dinh. Toad is the Emperor’s Uncle: Animal Folktales from Viet-Nam. New York: Doubleday, 1970. Voight, Cynthia. Dicey’s Song. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1982. Sequel to Homecoming. Watkins, Yoko K. So Far from the Bamboo Grove. New York: Lothrop, 1986. [Courage; Concern for Others] ______. Stuart Little. Illustrated by Garth Williams. New York: HarperCollins, 1945. [Self-Knowledge] Wiggin, Kate D. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. New York: Wilde, Oscar. Stories for Children. Illustrated by P. J. Lynch. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1991. ______. Complete Fairy Tales. Afterword by Jack Zipes. New York: Dutton, 1990. ______. The Happy Prince. Illustrated by Ed Young. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989.
AdvancedAges 9 and Up
Alcott, Louisa May. Eight Cousins. Various editions. WolfRider: A Tale of Terror. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1988. Bauer, Marion D. On My Honor. New York: Ticknor & Fields, 1986. [Courage; Honesty] The Constitution of the United States of America. Especially the “Preamble.” Various editions. [Justice; Aspiration] Crowe-Carraco, Carole. Women Who Made A Difference. Lexington, de Saint-Exupery, Antoine. The Little Prince. Various editions. [Friendship; Self-Knowledge; Self-Control & Responsibility] Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. Various editions. [Generous Understanding; Justice] ______. David Copperfield. Various editions. See also “David Copperfield and Little Emily”, in My Book House collection. [Friendship] ______. Oliver Twist. Various editions. [Justice; Aspiration; Self-Knowledge] Dodge, Mary M. Hans Brinker: The Silver Skates. New York: Puffin, 1985. Doyle, Arthur Conan. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Various editions. [Careful Thinking; Imagination; Honesty; Justice] Forbes, Esther. Johnny Tremain. Illustrated by Lynd Ward. New York: Dell, 1969. [Courage; Friendship; Self-Reliance] Fox, Paula. One-Eyed Cat. Illustrated by Irene Trivas. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1984. ______. The Village by the Sea. New York: Orchard, 1988. Franklin, Benjamin. Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Various editions. [Careful Thinking; Self-knowledge; Aspiration] ______. The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane. Photographs. New York: Holiday, 1991. ______. The House of Dies Drear. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1984. [Courage, Justice] ______. In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World. Illustrated by Barry Moser. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988. ______. M. C. Higgins, the Great. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1974. ______. The People Could Fly. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. New York: Knopf, 1985. ______. The Planet of Junior Brown. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1986. Henry, O. Stories. Various editions. See especially “Gift of the Magi.” Heyerdahl, Thor. Kon-Tiki. Various editions. [Courage; Careful Thinking; Imagination] Ho, Minfong. The Clay Marble. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1991. Irving, Washington. Rip Van Winkle & The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Various editions. Janeczko, Paul B. Poetspeak: In Their Work, About Their Work: A Keller Helen. Story of My Life. Various editions. [Courage; Friendship; Careful Thinking; Perseverence] Kipling, Rudyard. Captains Courageous & Other Stories. Including “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” and “The Maltese Cat”. New York: Dodd, Mead, and Co., 1959. MOVIE: “Captains Courageous”, 1937. ______. The Blue Sword. New York: Greenwillow, 1982. O’Dell, Scott. Sing Down the Moon. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1970. Orczy, Emmuska. The Scarlet Pimpernel (first of trilogy). Various editions. [Justice; Courage; Careful Thinking; Imagination] Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia. Illustrated by Donna Diamond. New York: HarperCollins, 1977. Sook, Nyul Choi. Year of lmpossible Goodbyes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1991. Twain, Mark. Various editions. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, The Prince & the Pauper.
Magazines and EncyclopediasCricket. (Ages 6-12). Literary magazine for children. Well known authors and artists. Highlights for Children. (Ages 4-10). Includes “Guide for Parents and Teachers,” stories, poems, craft ideas, cartoons. Kid City (Ages 6-10). For graduates of Sesame Street. Items about popular culture as well as serious issues such as racial inequalities and handicaps. KidSports. (Ages 8-14). Contains advice from professional athletes and stresses practice. Many articles focus on “When I Was Your Age” (a column title). Ladybug. (Ages 2-7). Literary magazine for younger children. From the publishers of Cricket. Includes a parent’s supplement. National Geographic World. (Ages 8-13). A variety of subjects including other children, games, projects, a large pull-out poster. Seedling Series: Short Story International. (Ages 8-12). Contains short stories from around the world, often with a moral or message. Sesame Street. (Ages 26). Educational magazine that draws from the television show. Emphasizes letters and numbers with games to cut out. Every issue includes a read-aloud piece about a serious topic such as starting school. Comes with a guide for parents. Zillions. (Ages 8-14). Consumer Reports for kids. Helps children make wise judgments about the quality and value of items for sale. Compton’s Encyclopedia. Illustrated. 26 volumes. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1992. Bound and on compact disc. New Book of Knowledge. Illustrated 21 volumes. Grolier, 1992. Written for elementary school children. Oxford Children’s Encyclopedia. Illustrated. 7 volumes. Oxford University Press, 1991. Random House Children’s Encyclopedia. Illustrated. Random House, 1991. World Book. Illustrated. 22 volumes. World Book, Inc., 1991. Appropriate for elementary school students and as a general family reference.
Other BooklistsBest of the Best for Children. Reference book compiled by the American Library Association. Gives titles with descriptions of books, magazines, videos, and computer software. New York: Random House, 1992. Available in many libraries. Books for Children. List of more than 100 of the best children’s books recently published. Compiled by the Library of Congress. Available for $1 from the Consumer Information Center, Pueblo, Colorado 81009. Item 101Z. Choosing Books for Children: A Commonsene Guide, by Betsy Hearne. Revised, expanded, and updated. New York: Delacorte, 1990. The Human Family...Learning To Live Together. Annual listing of children’s books that portray relationships among people of different cultural backgrounds, races, and religions. Available The New Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease. 2nd revised edition. New York: Penguin, 1989. The New York Times Parent’s Guide to the Best Books for Children. Edited by Eden Ross Lipson. New York: Random House, 1991. [Special subject indexes include such topics as “Family Life and Problems”; “Friendship”; “Growing Up”; “Holidays”; “Immigrants”; “Manners”; “Myths”; “Religion”; “War and Peace”; and others.] |
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Parents and the Schools Parents can learn from teachers what their children are studying and what interests them. A teacher or school librarian can provide good ideas for activities to do at home.
Acknowledgements This booklet has been made possible with help from the following people who reviewed early drafts, provided materials and suggestions, and generously contributed from their own experience: Ruth Pilsbury, Steven Tigner, Marty Sears, Miriam Marecek, Anne Ilacqua, Lee Delattre, Julie Boothby, April Supple, Judith Schickedanz, Joan Dee, Thomas Culliton, Scott and Victoria Stripling, Roselmina Indrisano, Richard Chambers, John Burkett, Roger Shattuck, Leon Kass, Maria Brisk, William Bennet, Jayne Karsten, Myles Striar, William and Jan Russell, Andrew Oldenqist, Edward Styles Peter Losin, Betsy Speicher, Charles Glenn, Victor Kestenbaum, Charles Griswold, Jane O’Hern, David Kahn, Sydney Eisen, Kevin Ryan, Carolyn Gecan, Gary Edwards, Robert Fullinwinder, Charles Karelis, James Herbert, Mary Minner, and many individuals within the Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Mark Travaglini and Mamie Brown copyedited this book with production assistance from Torey Evans. Jaine Shattan reviewed the bibliography and Michael Patrick Hearn advised on the use of artwork that is in the public domain. AliceB. Delattre has worked as a cataloguer at the Tompkins-McCaw library of the Medical College of Virginia Commonwealth University and in the Catalogue Department of the Main Library, University of Texas at Austin, and she has served as a volunteer in the Concord Free Public Library in Concord, Massachusetts. She holds a B.A. from Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia, and did graduate study in library science at The University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. Nancy Ione Young drew the cover illustration.
What We Can Do To Help Our Children Learn:
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