| The importance of being literate in today's world | | | | but when once his interest was fired, went on to |
| can hardly be overstated. It has been said that | | | | become a prominent neurosurgeon. The person |
| ideas the most powerful things in the world and | | | | who turned his life around was his mother. She |
| that literature is their sacred repository. But being | | | | believed he could do much better so she turned |
| literate is not enough. There are good ideas and | | | | off the TV set and told him that he could only |
| bad ideas. To be fully empowered, a person must | | | | watch two TV programs a week and that he had |
| be able to distinguish the one from the other. | | | | to read at least two books a week. He was |
| Want of this ability has caused untold human | | | | obedient, if not happy with the rule, but soon |
| suffering throughout history. | | | | found he had an interest in science books. This |
| So, as we teach our children how to read and | | | | interest became the basis for his rise from an F |
| write, whether at home or at school, it is | | | | student to an A student, and eventually made it |
| incumbent upon us to help them not only learn | | | | possible for him to become one of the foremost |
| how to distinguish one word from another, but | | | | surgeon's in his field. For Ben, what began with |
| also how to distinguish one idea from another. To | | | | little curiosity about a science book led to an |
| help you understand how to do this, let me first | | | | eminent career as a brain surgeon. |
| introduce you to a concept called character based | | | | In developing lesson plans or selecting reading |
| learning. I think you'll find it a good idea. | | | | material we need to continually strive to make |
| Character based learning is learning in which | | | | sure that students recognize their need to know, |
| students are improving their reasoning skills, | | | | have an interest in, or derive pleasure from what |
| increasing their knowledge, and enlarging their | | | | we are asking them to read. |
| moral understanding-all at the same time. When | | | | The most important experience children need to |
| these three processes occur together, children | | | | have in reading may best be described by the |
| are not only strengthened in their resolve to live | | | | word nourishment. As we teach children to read, |
| virtuous and productive lives, they are also given | | | | it is very important that we strive to nourish their |
| the tools that will enable them to do so. In other | | | | hungry minds. To do this we must expose them |
| words, we are empowering them with the ability | | | | to nourishing literature. So what is nourishing |
| to recognize right from wrong-to distinguish good | | | | literature? Let me begin by telling you what it's |
| ideas from bad ideas. | | | | not. |
| In order for character based learning to take | | | | It is not cotton candy-literature with only |
| place, it is necessary for the head, the heart, and | | | | entertainment value. We all enjoy a little cotton |
| often the hand to be engaged in the learning | | | | candy in life, but if all we ever ate was cotton |
| process. Few things are better suited for this | | | | candy, we would be sick, weak, and probably |
| process than good literature, whether factual or | | | | toothless. The same is true with mental food. |
| fictional. | | | | Literature with only entertainment value does little |
| Good literature is food for the mind and food for | | | | to nourish young and growing minds. |
| the soul. And, when coupled with appropriate | | | | It is not Tofu-literature with no entertainment |
| discussion and writing exercises, good literature is | | | | value. Now, while Tofu may be a healthy food, it |
| capable of providing children with extraordinary | | | | is hardly an interesting one of itself, and as a |
| insights into the nature of right and wrong-of why | | | | result, many refuse to eat it. If literature does not |
| some things are good and others bad, and why it | | | | engage the mind, it will never be ingested-much |
| is terribly important to be able to distinguish the | | | | less digested. |
| one from the other. | | | | Finally, it is not chicken that's been left out all |
| In applying character based learning techniques to | | | | day-literature with toxic ideas or information. While |
| the teaching of reading and writing skills, we are | | | | the chicken may look and taste just fine, it can |
| pursuing three objectives at the same time. 1) | | | | be fatal to those who eat it. In "The Decent of |
| We are teaching young people how to read and | | | | Man", Charles Darwin wrote, "Whatever makes |
| write. 2) We are teaching them how to distinguish | | | | any bad thought familiar to the mind, renders its |
| between right and wrong, and 3) We are helping | | | | performance so much the easier." |
| them develop their reasoning skills. | | | | But, here we come to an important difference |
| In applying character based learning techniques to | | | | between physical and mental food. Once a choice |
| teaching reading and writing, there is an important | | | | has been made to consume healthy food for the |
| rule we need to always keep in mind. | | | | body, physical nourishment occurs as a natural, |
| Only Motivated Children Learn to Read and Write | | | | unconscious process. To benefit from mental |
| The motivation or desire to read is purely a | | | | food, however, one must consciously digest it. |
| function of interest. Interest is generated by | | | | Mere consumption is not sufficient |
| essentially three things-curiosity (a desire to know | | | | Therefore, in teaching children right from wrong, |
| or understand), enjoyment (the pleasure of | | | | we must encourage them to give conscious |
| learning or being entertained), and necessity (a | | | | thought to what they read and write. We can |
| recognized need to know.) | | | | best do this by: 1. Helping them to recognize |
| There are three people I believe every child | | | | important ideas when they encounter them, and |
| should get to know. As young children, the lives | | | | 2. Providing opportunities for them to express |
| of each of these individuals were dramatically | | | | their thoughts about these ideas |
| changed by learning how to read and write. | | | | Sir. Francis Bacon wrote, "Reading maketh a full |
| The first person is Frederick Douglass, a boy who | | | | man, conference a ready man, and writing an |
| recognized a need to know. Every young person | | | | exact man." The reason is simple. We understand |
| should know the incredible story of how he | | | | ideas at one level when we hear them, at another |
| learned to read and write. It is the story of an | | | | when we read them, still another when we |
| eight year old slave boy who realized that if he | | | | discuss them, and yet another when we write |
| ever wanted to be something other than a slave, | | | | them. Writing requires greater exactness of |
| he needed to learn how to read and write. | | | | thought and expression than simply speaking. In |
| Illiteracy creates its own form of slavery and this | | | | the same vein, a greater exactness is required in |
| idea is as relevant today as it was then. | | | | speaking than reading and reading than hearing. |
| The second person is Helen Keller. The story of | | | | Hence, the very process of communicating an |
| Helen Keller and what happened that day at the | | | | idea to others helps us to examine it more closely |
| well is familiar to most of us. But, I wonder how | | | | and think about it more deeply. |
| many of us realize the significance of the idea | | | | Discussion may be facilitated by employing the |
| that made her little body tremble with excitement. | | | | HIF Questions: |
| The idea that brought new meaning and purpose | | | | Hindsight Questions require students to reflect on |
| to her life. What was this idea that empowered | | | | what they already know about the topic or |
| her with the ability to think and reason, to | | | | matter at hand. |
| comprehend and understand for the first time in | | | | Insight Questions require students to probe for |
| her life, and infused her soul with a hunger to | | | | new or increased understanding of the topic or |
| learn? It was the realization that words have | | | | matter at hand. |
| meaning! It's an idea many who have never been | | | | Foresight Questions require students to look |
| either deaf nor dumb have failed to grasp. With | | | | ahead and anticipate how this information may |
| that realization, Helen developed an insatiable joy | | | | help them in the future. |
| in learning. | | | | With close attention to providing students with |
| The third person is Ben Carson, a boy who | | | | exposure to nourishing literature and opportunities |
| discovered a new interest. You can read Ben's | | | | to discuss, either verbally or in writing, the ideas |
| story in a book titled "Gifted Hands.It is a book | | | | or lessons the literature provides, we can do |
| about a boy who in his early years of schooling | | | | much toward providing our young with the ability |
| mostly received D's and F's on his report card, | | | | to distinguish bad ideas from good ideas. |