Over the past five years, I’ve paid some attention to how character and moral development for kids is discussed in popular media. Here are some resources.
Spoiler Alert: I have some big problems with how “character” and “moral education” is being framed and discussed in mainstream media, especially within education circles.
My Blog Posts
- On Bad Babies, Moral Education, and Care-as-Generosity
- Beside/s: Variations on Self-Control
- 7 Traits Kids Need to Succeed?
- What are some tools for living and where should they be taught?
News Articles
- Non-Academic Skills are Key to Success. But What Should We Call Them? (NPR)
- Raising a Moral Child (NYTimes)
- Testing for Joy and Grit
- The problem with teaching “grit” to poor kids? They already have it. Here’s what they really need.
Studies
- Skills for Success (Supporting and Assessing Habits, Key Mindsets, and Skills in PreK-12 (New America Study)
- Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Longterm Goals (Academic Article)
- What Character Strength Should Educators Focus On and How? (online post about study)
- Grit: A Short History of a Useful Concept (Journal of Educational Controversy)
Books
- Tough, Paul. How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
- Duckworth, Angela. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perserverence