Parents and teachers have the exciting responsibility of preparing children to participate in and fully experience the diverse world in which they live. They do this by helping children understand and accept differences in themselves and others. One goal of the HGDL is to help children develop strength of mind, heart, and will. The HGDL also strives to be a program that reflects a civil, caring and purposeful community. While involvement in an HGDL preschool program typically lasts one to two years versus the 4-7 years that a child may spend in an elementary school, the foundations of these strengths can be built and the formation of civil and caring preschool classroom communities can set a standard of behavior that children will carry with them into their elementary, adolescent, and adult years.
The prosocial guidance used at the HGDL helps children feel good about themselves and the adult modeling of positive behavior (which naturally occurs within prosocial guidance) encourages children to respond to others with the same consideration and respect. Complimentary skills include building an understanding of others, being considerate, encouraging others, being friendly and benevolent to others, being helpful to others, acting sociably, exhibiting politeness, attempting to maintain common spirit, and displaying responsibility.
While all HGDL students are unique and have incredible value, it is important that the focus is not entirely self-centered. An overemphasis on building self-esteem perpetuates children who might believe that they are more important than others and who might make choices based solely on their own happiness or individual needs rather than considering the needs of others. In the words of Madelyn Swift, the HGDL wants to support the development of children who feel “right” about themselves rather than just feeling “good” about themselves. Following this lead, the HGDL strives to support young children’s needs for developing skills that will allow them to initiate, build, support and maintain friendships with others and helps children develop friendships with their peers in order to foster growth in the skills of sympathy, empathy, helping and other prosocial behaviors.
Environments that promote competition inadvertently encourage dishonesty, and children who receive rewards and empty praise for behavior will learn to determine behavior based on what it will do for them. The desired altruistic behavior results when children develop an internal desire to help others based on the results of that service and do not rely on external rewards. The development of this intrinsic motivation is grounded in personal experiences such as construction, creation and production, followed by reflection. Adults can foster this by modeling charity, love, and sensitivity to others, and through implementing service activities and projects that encourage children to help others. HGDL teachers do not rely on external rewards such as praise, stickers, and certificates to motivate children to act in certain ways. If young children are to develop internal motivation, it is imperative that adults encourage children by recognizing their actions and by discussing the implications that positive actions may have on others in a way that will make them want to do even more.
As mentioned earlier, both parents and teachers set the stage for learning and personal development by providing materials and by structuring the environment so that children know and understand when choices are theirs and when it is the adults’ responsibility to make the choice. The children in the HGDL are in the foundation forming years where family involvement can make a difference in future peer relationships. A key component to developing this comprehensive character education program is the involvement of and support of HGDL families through discussion and action. This involvement will make the difference between a character education curriculum that results in a change of attitude and a program that results in both a change of attitude and behavior. Since the nature of character education is to deliberately cultivate virtues so that behavior reflects respect, responsibility, kindness, and self-discipline, it is of key importance that families and teachers offer a combination of support and challenge, love and direction, and find a balance between control and freedom for their children and students. The HGDL supports parents who try to establish close, value based relationships with their children, and families who engage children in conversations about moral dilemmas and encourage children to make appropriate moral judgments. Additionally, parents and teachers should work towards developing the cognitive (knowing) and emotional (feeling) sides of conscience, and should utilize both during correction. Parents should also act as a model to their children as they stand up to peer pressure. Finally, adults in families must work together, talk about their children, and think about what values are important and how they will be passed on to children.
The character development curriculum at the HGDL is designed to support the development of the whole child through the comprehensive integration of character development objectives in all eight of the HGDL curricular areas. Teachers and student teachers plan weekly experiences across the curriculum that support and encourage the development of character. Additionally, teachers, student teachers, parents, and even the children of the program have continuous access to information and resources about character development. This education program is designed and intended to be holistic in nature and is supported by the HGDL diversity and service learning policies in order to develop children into people who think, care, problem solve, and more.
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Human Growth & Development Laboratory
Located on the Campus of Central Michigan University
163 Wightman Hall
Mt. Pleasant, MI. 48859
Phone: 989/774-3760 Fax: 989/774-1060
Ranay Gursky
Copyright © 2002 Human Growth and Development Laboratory
All rights reserved. Revised:
August 19, 2004
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