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Teaching Character Through Fiction

9/25/2021

A directly indirect approach to teaching your kids character through fiction.

By Brock Eastman
Article first appeared in Family Magazine in August 2015

Stories are powerful tools that can awaken a reader’s imagination and inspire them. Have your kids ever pretended to be a character from a book you’ve just read; acting out the scenes, dressing in costumes? Maybe your kids wrote their own story or shared ideas of what came next in the book. Reading fiction to your children is a great way for indirect teaching and opens a world of possibilities for inspiration.

With four kids six years old and under, my wife and I look for great books that teach our kiddos lessons. Sometimes this is simply through the themes of the stories or bright illustrations. For our preschool-aged children, a lot of the books are directly teaching something: ABCs, 123s, Potty Training, Sharing, Being Kind, Colors. At their age, our kids accept this teaching and results are relatively immediate. As kids get older, they see through this sort of direct teaching, and it’s time to change tactics to help guide them along on life’s journey.

Your pre-teen or teen probably rolls her eyes when you hand her that nonfiction book about dating or having strong moral character. (Of course, you may have those perfect kids who never do anything of this sort.) When I was a teen and my parents tried suggesting what I should do with my spare time, I generally went the other direction whether they knew it or not.

There is a solution to getting these often direct lessons in a nonfiction book into the minds of your kids through the power of fiction. Generally perceived as entertainment, fiction books can provide the exact same values and lessons you wish your adolescents to pick up on. The genres and stories run the gamut, from what authentic love looks like to Biblical allegories, powerful character traits, epic tales that shine light on deep friendship, heroic feats that teach kids to stand up for what they know is right even in the face of adversity, or telling the truth no matter the consequences.

As an author, I not only look at the theme of my entire series and each individual book when I write, but I also try to provide examples within the details of the characters starring in my stories. Take Oliver for instance: he’s got great leadership skills, he’s strong, he’s confident, and he’s courageous—he’s everything a young man wants to be. But he’s also at times arrogant, quick to anger, impatient to listen, and not willing to work as a team. Oliver needs to be relatable to his readers, but he also has to grow right alongside them. We watch his character develop, and in the end, the readers see traits they wish to embody.

If you think back to the books you loved most growing up—or even now—you’ll probably find in some way you relate to a character, whether through their past, their journey, or who they become. Maybe it’s not that you’re just like them, but they embrace the traits you aspire to have. They may give you the courage to make a change in your life or conquer a fear. What characters in stories have done for you, they can also do for your kids.

When shown through the characters of an exciting adventure or emotional journey, character traits can connect with a reader without making them feel the lesson is being forced upon them. Your kids will find themselves relating their own lives and their own journeys to the characters of the story. Even vast epics like the Lord of the Rings teach character traits your kid will relate to such as you can accomplish things greater than yourself, being wealthy is not the most important thing in life, be honest with others and yourself, be courageous, and size doesn’t matter, having “heart” does.

And if your kids still resist a fiction book handed to them by you, enlist the help of a cool aunt or uncle, or perhaps an older cousin. Personal recommendations for books go a long way in engaging a reader. Often if someone likeminded has invested in reading a book or series, your kid is more likely to see the investment as worth their own time.

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Today is Talk Like a Pirate Day

9/19/2021

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Ahoy, here be some Pirate lingo fur ye ta use on ye 'Talk Like a Pirate' day with ye wee buckos.

Ahoy - A pirate greeting, like "Hello!"
Arrr, Arrgh, Yarr, Gar - A pirate terms that can be used in sorts of situations
Avast - A command to stop and be alert.
Aye - Pirate for “Yes"
Aye aye - A pirate’s acknowledgment of the Captain’s orders
Belay - A pirate may use this in regards to preventing someone from doing something
Booty – A pirates plunder; treasure or other valuable items
Bucko - Pirate for friend

I'll Crush Ye Barnacles - A pirate threat to a foe or fellow pirate
Jolly Roger - Most recognizeable symbol of the pirates; a skull and crossbones
Lad - What a pirate might call a young person
Maroon - When pirates leave someone on an island or desert coast
Matey - Pirate for companion or close friend
Savvy - Pirate for, "Do you understand?"
Shiver me timbers - What a pirate says when caught byu surprise
Walk the plank - A pirate punishment for their enemies, or a traitor
Weigh anchor - Pirate for, “Let’s go.”
Yo-ho-ho - A happy pirate expression

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Teaching Character Through Fiction

A directly indirect approach to teaching your kids character through fiction.

By Brock Eastman
Article first appeared in Family Magazine in August 2015

Today is Talk Like a Pirate Day

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Teaching Character Through Fiction​

A directly indirect approach to teaching your kids character through fiction.

​By Brock EastmanArticle first appeared in Family Magazine in August 2015

Today is Talk Like a Pirate Day

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Join Phoenix eNews

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Teaching Character Through Fiction

By Brock Eastman
Article first appeared in Family Magazine in August 2015