Character in Action {Character Concepts Review}

Thinking back over the years I've been home educating I came to realize quite early on that academics were not going to be the most challenging aspect of the home education journey.  Character was. Teaching character and how to make wise choices was a real daily challenge. With Timothy and Jane we used many different tools however with a child who is on the spectrum it was becoming a challenge to teach biblical character in a concrete way that he could fully understand.

I am so very excited to have found Character in Action:Taking the Next Steps by Character Concepts.  Character Concepts was started by the Boyer Family whose passion is to equip families with resources to train their families to show forth the character of Christ.

Character in Action:Taking the Next Steps is not just another character curriculum.  This is a character book with a difference!  The difference is that these are real people, living real every day ordinary lives just like us and who are able to put into action what they are learning and take us along for the journey all the while encouraging us to do the same.

Each time we read a chapter we discuss the actions and why the families are doing what they are doing.   One of the biggest benefits of real life photographs and true living examples is that when we are out and about I can refer to a character trait and he knows exactly what I'm talking about.  For example we went to a friends house for a play date and I could encourage him to be sensitive to the needs of the younger children and he understood what I was asking of him as we had read the chapter on sensitivity that morning.

Character traits explored in this book are:

1. Creativity
2. Sensitivity
3. Kindness
4. Responsibility
5. Compassion
6. Initiative
7. Generosity
8. Honor
9. Hospitality
10. Alertness
11. Gratefulness
12. Availability
13. Decisiveness
14. Deference

 Inside the book

• Each chapter focuses on one character trait. 
• The character concept is explained in a short sentence followed by a scripture.
• A short true life story follows.  Each story is narrated from the real  life experiences of the Boyer Family cousins. Interspersed throughout each story are family photo's of the particular experience. The most appealing part of the stories is learning alongside the children as they learn to put into real life application the particular character trait being covered.
• The end of each chapter contains a one page Taking The Next Step section.  In this section the family list extra ideas of putting into practice that particular character trait. The lists are not just a set of Googled ideas they are ideas that the families have used to put into practice that which they are learning. 
• Each and every story is beautifully presented.  Each trait is uniquely formatted. Through out each story there are beautiful full colour photographs of the family in the story.
• The whole book is in full colour. 

 Character traits explored in this book are:

1. Creativity
2. Sensitivity
3. Kindness
4. Responsibility
5. Compassion
6. Initiative
7. Generosity
8. Honor
9. Hospitality
10. Alertness
11. Gratefulness
12. Availability
13. Decisiveness
14. Deference

The Details

• Title: Character in Action:Taking the Next Steps
• Book 3 in the Learning Character with the cousins series. (Crossroads of Character and Character Trails)
• Format: Hardback or eBook
• Number of Pages: 144 pages
• Publisher: The Learning Parent
• Publication Date: May 2016
• ISBN 13:  9780986043321
• Author: Marilyn and Kelley Boyer and "The Cousins"
• Photographs by numerous sources

Cost* of Character in Action

• eBook US $14.00
• Hardback Book US $19.99

*Prices are correct at time of review and subject to change at the discretion of Character Concepts. 

Recommended Age Range

• 6 to 12 years old.

Connect with Character Concepts on social media

    

Over All I thought ...
I'm very pleased to have discovered Character in Action:Taking the Next Steps. It has been a great way of introducing important life skills to Nathaniel.

Blessings
Chareen

WIN a copy of  Character in Action:Taking the Next Steps

Thanks to Character Concepts, we have the opportunity to give away a single copy of this wonderful book** to one of our readers.


To go into the draw:

• To ENTER: leave a comment on this post, {don't forget to let us know how we can reach you}, Tell us what character trait you most admire in people, or which one you wish your children knew more about! 
• You must be 18 years old or older to participate.
• Prize fulfillment is dependent on Character Concepts and is not the responsibility of Every Bed of Roses.
•  A random winner will be selected next Friday 7 October! 

** USA winner will receive a hardback version OR International winner will receive the eBook version.

Building Character with Children

As a homeschool mom it's not the academics that cause me the greatest challenge it's the issues of the heart and character that seem to be the ultimate issue at hand.  I have been encouraged and inspired with these FREE seven minute video's by Shirley Solis. 

• Are you frustrated with your children's attitudes?
• Are you tired of doing all the chores around the house?
• Do you wish the children helped around the house a little more?
• Need creative ways to train your children?
• Want to start the year off right and finally train your children consistently?
• Are you constantly yelling at your children?
• Are you tired of arguing with your children?

Building Character with Children is a brand new video-based program with homeschool mom, author, and speaker Shirley Solis.

I'm a mum with very limited free time so I am really happy to find a short, 7-minute video where Shirley shares her experience as a mom of 6 children, with tips and tricks to build strong, desirable character traits in your children!

In Building Character with Children, you will learn

• Video 1 - How to train your children to learn a new habit in just a few minutes a day (so you won’t have to keep repeating yourself!)
• Video 2 - The 3 reasons why your children don’t do their chores AND what to do about it!
• Video 3 - What to do about sibling rivalry and how to resolve conflicts easily and peacefully!
• Video 4 - The #1 reason why children are lacking character today and how to change that!

It's easy to access your FREE video's go to Building Character with Children and enter your name and email address. You will immediately be given access to the video's. There is no going to your email to activate.  The page with the video's opens for you straight away.  As of yesterday there are two video's up on the site with two more to come.

I have been struggling to get my day going well and will definitely be using the ideas from video one.  Starting this Monday I will be applying the technique with Sir N.  I love her encouraging words and simple approach.  I have used this in the past but never knew how to take Sir N to total ownership and independance in this area.  This is going to change our day for the better and make it so much better for him and I.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the video's and what you are implementing and how the ideas are working for you. 

Blessings
Chareen

Connect with Shirley

• Facebook
• Google+
• Pinterest
• Blog

TT - Teaching Character Resource List

 Welcome to Tuesdays Treasures.  I started these posts as a way of sharing great books in honour of my friend in New Zealand who would arrive with the treasures she had unearthed at her weekly trip to the library!

There are so many wonderful books out there hiding on shelves so I invite you to blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading or one you found at the library and add your post to Learning All the Time Favourite Resource Link Up. 

This week is not about any one particular book but rather a collection of resources to help teach and train our children in character.

Books to support you

• Achieving True Success by Character First This 70-page hardbound book walks you through the process of building good character and teaches ways to practice 49 essential character qualities, including initiative, thoroughness, responsibility, forgiveness, truthfulness, obedience, and many more!
• A Hive of Busy Bees by Effie Williams {Contents: Bee Obedient; Bee Honest; Bee Truthful; Bee Kind; Bee Polite; Bee Gentle; Bee Helpful; Bee Careful; Bee Grateful; Bee Loving; Bee Accepted; Bee Confident; Bee Content.}
• Another Hive of Bees by Effie Williams.
• Help me be Good a set of 29 books by Joy Berry.
• Get Wisdom by Ruth Younts.  23 Lessons for Children about Living for Jesus.
• Parenting with Scripture by Kara Gentsch Durbin "Parenting with Scripture" helps capture those teachable moments with children, developing within them an understanding of morality and a love of Scripture. Topically arranged, parents can receive suggestions on nearly 100 subjects, ranging from anger and complaining to sharing and worry.

• Right Choices by Taylor / Shoemaker - Twenty-six entries discuss wrong choices, such as lying, pride, and looking at
• The Gift of Values Vol I by Rosie Boom 
• The Gift of Values Vol II by Rosie Boom
• Proverbs for Parenting by Barbara Decker A topical guide for raising children from the book of Proverbs. This book arranges the proverbs into more than seventy realistic, helpful topics, such as trust in God, obedience, temper, self-control, boasting, arguing, honesty, love, friendship, happiness, faithfulness, stewardship, and complaining.
• The Book of Virtues for Young People by William J.Bennett - Well-known works including fables, folklore, fiction, drama, and more, by such authors as Aesop, Dickens, Tolstoy, Shakespeare, and Baldwin, are presented to teach virtues, including compassion, courage, honesty, friendship, and faith.
• The Book of Virtues by William J.Bennett. Responsibility. Courage. Compassion. Honesty. Friendship. Persistence. Faith. Everyone recognizes these traits as essentials of good character. In order for our children to develop such traits, we have to offer them examples of good and bad, right and wrong. And the best places to find them are in great works of literature and exemplary stories from history. William J. Bennett has collected hundreds of stories in "The Book of Virtues,
• Building Character Day by Day by Anne D Mather
• The Seven Habits of Happy Kids by Sean Covey
• The Power of True Success
• For Instruction in Righteousness
• 75 Books that Build Character over at No Time for Flash Cards.

On line Downloads

• Free Character Lapbooks over at Lapbook Lessons.
• Good Character Word Search
• The Paper Maid is creating wonderful Character Notebook pages Compassion, Cautiousness, Boldness, Contentment, Alertness, Benevolence, Availability, Attentiveness,
• Bee Folder.
• Erica from Confessions of a Homeschooler put together 10 Days of Character Study - Diligence,
  Gentleness, Being a Good Steward, Honesty, Humility, Obedience, Patience, Peace Making, Self Control, Selflessness
• Kids of Integrity Tools for Growing Godly Character - Acceptance, Attentiveness, Contentedness, Courage, Courteous Communication, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Generosity, Gentleness, Harmony, Honesty, Humility, Joy, Kindness, Obedience, Patience, Perseverence, Respect, Righteousness, Self Control.
• Notes for Home for 7 Habits of Happy Kids.

•  Every Bed of Roses Pinterest Character Board.
• Character Building Christian Literature over at The Blessings Pour Out.
• 31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for your Children.
• Serve one another in Love {Teaching Children to Serve others 30 Project ideas}
• Peace Makers and Peace Breakers
• Character Trait Books on Primary Graffiti
• A Different Kind of Advent Calendar using Character
• 7 Habits of Happy Kids Posters.
• 7 Habits of Happy Kids Songs
• 10 First Rate Character Trait Bulletin Board Set.
• Manners Matter over at Wise Witty Teacher.
• 75 Books that Build Character over at No Time for Flash Cards.
• FREE Character Word Clouds.
• Manners Can be Taught by  Babble.

On the net

• Character Cards over at Character First.
• Christian Book has 300 books listed under Character for you to look through.
• We Choose Virtues
• Preparing the Soil has a great how to teach character step by step blog post.
• Character First has a wonderful on line resource for you to subscribe to as well as some great freebies.
• How Michelle Duggar Combines Character Building with Homeschooling.
• 49 Godly Character Traits over at Raising Godly Children.
• 5 Days of Character Training over at Blessing Farm 
• The ABC's of Character over at Blessing Farm.
• Keys to Obedience (Tutorial) over at the Better Mom.
• 100 Kids Activities To Build Character 
• Four Videos - Building a Strong Work Ethic and Character in Your Children.

What are your favourite resources for teaching Character ?  Make sure to leave your link to your post so I can pop on over and have a read.

Blessings
Chareen

Updated 9 January 2014

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

 Welcome to Tuesdays Treasures.  I started these posts as a way of sharing great books in honour of my friend in New Zealand who would arrive with the treasures she had unearthed at her weekly trip to the library!

There are so many wonderful books out there hiding on shelves so I invite you to blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading or one you found at the library and add your post to Learning All the Time Favourite Resource Link Up. 



This week ...

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Laurel Leaf (May 15, 1978)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0440995779
ISBN-13: 978-0440995777
Sonlight: Core D

I kind of raised my eyebrows at this book when we first received it from Sonlight.  The word forbids us to have anything to do with witchcraft and here they send me a book with this title.  I felt a little bent out of shape over the title and after a little hesitation I choose to trust their choice and read the book outloud.  I am so pleased that I did as this book brings back many happy memories of reading out loud with my teens.  It's a sit on the edge of your seat in anticipation book, full of great illustrations of wrong perceptions and commited friendships.

Follow Kit Tyler, orphaned and on her way to live with her Aunt in Connecticut.  Kit's journey goes ary from day one when she dives over board to rescue a childs toy and rumours of her in the community begin. Feeling deeply out of place in the Puritan household of her Aunt she soon befriends another outcast who is considered a witch by most. Whereupon innocent acts soon find her on trial for witchcraft.

Many of the places in the novel are actual places in Old Wehtersfield, Connecticut.

Reviews:

• "The book has a lively plot and excellent characterizations. The background has every dimension of reality." The New York Times 
• "Rarely has a book taken us back into seventeenth-century life as this does." The New York Herald-Tribune
• "Strong plot, fully realized characters, and convincing atmosphere distinguish this historical narrative." Booklist, ALA 

Mc Graw Hill Education has an excellent site with a 22 page Study Guide (FREE) in PDF format for you to download.  Simply choose your state (there is an international option) choose to use as a student/parent and search other books.  Excellent site worth bookmarking.

This book is available from:  Book Depository UK, Book Depository COM, Amazon, Fishpond.

Blessings