Four motivating activities to teach core values through reading

Nicola Schofield
A young girl sat at a desk smiling at the front of the class, with other students in the background.
Reading time: 4 minutes

Teaching ourÌýchildren coreÌývalues is so important in helping them to becomeÌýhappy,Ìýwell-balancedÌýcitizens who will make a positive contributionÌýtoÌýour future society.Ìý

Values are present and visible everywhere and they areÌýtheÌýfoundation or starting point from where we make our decisions, which ultimately determine our futures. It is,Ìýtherefore,Ìýimportant that our children learn a strong, moral set of values that will help guide them as they grow older,Ìýinform their decisions,Ìýhelp them toÌýknow right from wrong, solve problems, assert themselves and build self-esteem and confidence.

Values can beÌýbuiltÌýon aÌýpersonal level or evenÌýshared atÌýa group level such as a family and friendship group.ÌýHowever, we often see them on a larger scale within communities, countries or even the whole world.Ìý

Having a shared set of values connects peopleÌýon a deeper levelÌýand helps us to all work towards the same goals and standards – they canÌýeven encourage people to see the similarities between each other, rather than theÌýdifferences.Ìý

Learning values through reading

Children learn about values through their families, friends, and teachers, through what they watch or listen to and through their life experiences. They also learn about valuesÌýthrough the books they read.ÌýThese lessonsÌýcan be subtle but are oftenÌýextremely powerful andÌýcanÌýhave a significant impact and influence.

As an example, let’s have a look at how shared valuesÌýareÌýexplored in theÌýnew graded readers series for young learners,ÌýDisney Kids Readers, where special emphasis has been put on exploring values within a story.ÌýAt the end, you will find severalÌývalue-based activitiesÌýthat you can download for use in the classroom orÌýasÌýan activity at home.Ìý

HowÌýdo Disney Kids Readers teach core values?

  1. Learning through stories that are already familiar can help children to trust in and take on board the key messages much more easily. Familiarity can break down many barriers to communication and help us understand that values are often universal.Ìý
  2. Many children are also familiar with the Disney characters and can find inspiration from reading how they react to situations in life, make decisions and behave. Children often look up to characters and can see them as role models within their own lives. As a result, the readers can be a reference point on how to respond to key life moments and how to incorporate values into real life.
  3. Also, depending on the child's age, some values may be new and children may not yet have experience with them in the real world. Therefore, the Disney stories allow them to explore these key messages through their favorite Disney character’s point of view.Ìý

Each Disney Kids Reader is linked to a key valueÌýand contains a ‘Values’ page with aÌýshortÌýcomicÌýstripÌýthat brings to life a specific value.Ìý

The list below detailsÌýa selection ofÌýkey values taught across the readers.ÌýYou could askÌýthe childrenÌýin your classÌýto talk about which values are most important to them and why. Ask them to give an exampleÌýofÌýa time when they have demonstrated this value in their own lives.Ìý

Friendship, positivity, curiosity, confidence, open-mindedness, courage, determination, self-belief, responsibility, resilience, respect, honesty.

Examples of key values inÌýDisney stories

InÌýThe Jungle Book,ÌýfriendshipÌýis a keyÌývalue,Ìýand we learn that it is important to help our friends. Baloo helps Mowgli when he is alone in the jungle and scared. An angry tiger wants Mowgli to leave the jungle, but when Mowgli meets Baloo, he finds a friend in him. Baloo sees that Mowgli is scared and looks after him.ÌýWe learn that it is important to help our friends when they are in need.Ìý

Do:ÌýAsk the children when they have helped their friends.

InÌýInside Out, we learn aboutÌýsincerityÌýandÌýhowÌýimportantÌýit is to talk about how we are feeling. Riley is a teenager struggling with a whole range of emotions and we learn that life isn’t about being happy all the time and that it is okay to be sad sometimes. The children learn that this is a normal part of life and that talking it through with a friend, a parent or a teacher can help.

Do:ÌýAsk the children if they share their feelings with others.

Here are some activities for you to use with your class to help put into practice the core values from the readers. You can use these activities with any book, in and outside the classroom.

1. My Values Road Sign (L3-4)

This activityÌýisÌýa great way of talkingÌýtoÌýchildrenÌýabout their values. By creating a road sign poster,Ìýit will help them to decide which values are most important to them and it is something that they canÌýreferÌýto again and again in challenging times. They can stick it on their bedroom wall, display it on the fridge or you could even make a classroom display of shared valuesÌýwhen children have finishedÌýtheirÌýbooks!

Download the worksheet

Ìý2. Kindness Calendar (L4-6)

This activity can be done as a family, with friends or as a class. The children fill in the calendar with kind actions they are going to do for 7 days. They can cut them out and placeÌýthemÌýinto a jar and ask a different family member/friend/classmate to choose one a day. Do this for a week and discuss how carrying out kind actions makes them feel.ÌýChances areÌýit will make them feel good!

Download the worksheet

3. Core Values Quiz (L5-6)

Try this quiz with your class and test their values. The questions focus on the following values: sincerity, honesty, positivity, resilience and friendship. If they answer mostly As, then they already demonstrate most of the values in their lives. If they answer mostly Bs, talk to them about why it is important to be honest, positive, strong and kind. The quiz will start a meaningful conversation about their own values and how they react to common situations in life.

Download the worksheet

4. My future self (L1-2)

The childrenÌýfill in the crystal ball with pictures of who they would like to be in the future. Do they want to be smart, funny, have a good job, live abroad, have a family, be rich, be a good friend or help the planet? Which of the plans make one personÌý(themselves)ÌýhappyÌýand which plans make the world better? Do they need to change any of them?

Download the worksheet

Read our blog posts 'Fostering self-care and wellbeing through the world of reading'Ìýand 'The importance of teaching values to young learners'.

Explore our English Readers

More blogs from ÃÛÌÒapp

  • a hand reaching for a book from a bookshelf

    9 great novels to help improve your English

    By Steffanie Zazulak

    Reading is one of the most fun and effective ways to help improve your English language skills. It can help to expand your vocabulary and expose you to different sentence structures, all while you enjoy some wonderful stories.

    E-readers and tablets make learning English even easier because if you don’t know a word, you can click on it to read its definition. On the Kindle, you can even add new words you’ve learnt to its Vocabulary Builder feature, which is stored on the device. Others recommend listening to and reading text at the same time as an excellent way to enhance the learning process. Kindle’s Whispersync for Voice is designed for just this purpose and includes audio with selected books, so you can listen and follow the text as you read.

    9 great novels to help improve your English

    Below, we reveal nine novels, including William Golding’s Lord of the Flies and George Orwell’s Animal Farm, to help improve your English.

    1. The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame

    This classic tale takes place in the English countryside and shares the adventures of the animals that live by the river. Grahame’s simple use of language with imaginative stories makes this a pleasurable read for adults and children.

    2. Lord of the Flies – William Golding

    This book is a modern classic and a popular study text for schools all over the world. When a group of boys are isolated on a desert island, the society they create descends into ruthless behavior. Golding uses dramatic and descriptive language, almost like poetry, making you feel like you’re in the scenes yourself.

    3. The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway

    Ernest Hemingway is well-known for his clear, straightforward writing style and short sentence structure, which is great for English language learners and many people have read it in school. It’s the courageous tale of a Cuban fisherman and his battle to land a giant marlin and it’s a perfect introduction to Hemingway as an author.

  • A Young woman smiling and gesturing at her friend

    Improve your English without saying a word

    By Steffanie Zazulak

    Communicating in English goes far beyond simply learning English vocabulary. In fact, there are many non-verbal strategies you can leverage to appear more confident as you improve your English. Below you’ll find three of the most important aspects of non-verbal communication to work on:

    Make eye contact when you speak in English

    When you’re talking to someone, it’s best to look them in the eye as much as possible. This shows that you are engaged in the conversation and listening intently when not speaking. Especially in loud environments, you may find your eyes drawn to someone’s lips as they talk. While it may help you better understand what they’re saying in a noisy place, like a restaurant, aim to maintain eye contact as much as you can (but do remember to take a quick break away once in a while so as to not stare too intently).

    Be mindful of body language

    What you’re doing with your hands and the facial expressions you make can say a lot—sometimes more than words! Not only should you be aware of the body language of who you’re talking with, but you also need to know what your body language is saying about you. Different cultures see hand gestures differently so it's good to be mindful of what gestures you make with your hands. If you want to appear open and friendly you may want to keep your arms open and avoid closed body language like crossing your arms.

    If someone is leaning away from you slightly, this may indicate they aren’t interested in the topic you’re speaking about. They may lean in closer if more interested in what you're talking about. If they smile a lot, this may mean they agree with you.

    Prepare yourself for English conversations you may have

    If you are planning to practice talking in English, it’s OK to prepare yourself for the conversation. Create a script for yourself to speak from that allows you to practice difficult terms and phrases. Not only will this give you real-time experience bettering your skills, but it will allow you to speak English with confidence.

    Either in work situations or casual conversations, there’s more than just English words being exchanged so remember to dedicate your full attention. It’s an excellent opportunity to practice and improve your English skills and you’re likely to learn more than just studying on your own.

  • A group of young people sat at a table drinking and eating

    How the English language has changed over the decades

    By Steffanie Zazulak

    All languages change over time, and there can be many different reasons for this. The English language is no different – but why has it changed over the decades?

    Some of the main influences on the evolution of languages include:

    • The movement of people across countries and continents, for example, migration and, in previous centuries, colonization. For example, English speakers today would probably be comfortable using the Spanish word 'loco' to describe someone who is 'crazy'.
    • Speakers of one language coming into contact with those who speak a different one. No two individuals speak identically: people from different geographical places clearly speak differently and even within the same community there are variations according to a speaker’s age, gender, ethnicity and social and educational background. For example, the word 'courting' has become 'dating'.
    • New vocabulary required for inventions such as transport, domestic appliances and industrial equipment, or for sporting, entertainment, cultural and leisure reasons. For example, the original late 19th century term 'wireless' has become today’s 'radio'.

    Due to these influences, a language always embraces new words, expressions and pronunciations as people come across new words and phrases in their day-to-day lives and integrate them into their own speech.

    What changes has the English language seen?

    As the English language has changed, it’s been easy to pick out words that pass into common usage. Here at ÃÛÌÒapp English, we have explored some of these recent changes to the English language. The rise in popularity of internet slang has seen phrases such as 'LOL' (Laugh Out Loud), 'FOMO' (Fear Of Missing Out) and 'fam' (an abbreviated form of family) become firmly embedded in the English language over the past ten years.

    Every decade sees new slang terms like these appearing in the English language. And while some words or abbreviations do come from internet or text conversations, others may appear as entirely new words, a new meaning for an existing word, or a word that becomes more generalized than its former meaning, brought about by any one of the reasons above. Decades ago, 'blimey' was a new expression of surprise, but more recently 'woah' is the word in everyday usage.

    Sentence structure is of course, another change to the English language. Decades ago, it would have been normal to ask 'Have you a moment?' Now, you might say 'D’you have a sec?' Similarly, 'How do you do?' has become 'How’s it going?' Not only have the sentences been abbreviated, but new words have been introduced to everyday questions.

    Connected to this is the replacement of certain words with other, more modern versions. It’s pretty noticeable that words like 'shall' and 'ought' are on the way out, but 'will', 'should' and 'can' are doing just fine.

    Other changes can be more subtle. Many verbs can take a compliment with another verb in either the '-ing' form or the 'to' form, for example, 'they liked painting/to paint', 'we tried leaving/to leave', or 'he didn’t bother calling/to call'. Both of these constructions are still used and have been for a long time, but there has been a steady shift over time from the 'to' to the '-ing' compliment.

    What do the changes mean?

    There are many other changes to the English language – what have you noticed? Have these changes affected your teaching or learning methods?Ìý

    Most contemporary linguistic commentators accept that change in language, like change in society, is inevitable. Some think that is regrettable, but others recognize it as a reinvigoration of a language, bringing alternatives that allow subtle differences of expression.

    Linguist, writer and lecturer David Crystal considers whether 'text speak' is undermining the English language. His response to the naysayers who claim it is damaging the English language is to point out that abbreviations have been around for a long time. While some, such as the ones we discussed above, are new, others, such as the use of 'u' for 'you' and the number 8 as a syllable in 'later', have been around for a century or more. Further to this, research shows that there is a correlation between the ability to use abbreviations and the ability to spell. After all, in order to abbreviate, you have to know which letters to abbreviate.

    As with everything, change isn’t necessarily a bad thing and, as the needs of English language users continue to change, so will the language.

    Fancy learning more about English? Check out our post 'How do English phrases travel across countries?'.