Metacognition in Literacy
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Character Development
“Good literature with character development themes has the power to develop, shape, and reinforce dispositions essential for instilling in students important core ethical values…caring, compassion, kindness, empathy, citizenship, courage, fairness, honesty, trustworthiness, integrity, leadership, perseverance in establishing and attaining goals, respect, responsibility, team work and cooperation… These character traits are universally recognized by people from all walks of life and transcend religious and cultural beliefs. They are meant to be valued by diverse individuals who come from different backgrounds who may hold different beliefs.” - Gina M. Almerico
What is Character Development?
In literature, character development is the change a character goes through during the course of a story, as a result of the conflict the character stumbles upon. In writing, character development is your creation of your character and expanding his or her growth, struggles, and experiences, as your story progresses.
Four Fun Tips for Character Development
3. Don’t neglect the sidekicks- ‘Sidekicks’ can sometimes be the most likeable characters in a book. Many times, the sidekicks become the student’s favorite characters. The sidekick will develop as the main character grows throughout the story as well.
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2. Everyone has a past- Each character has a back-story, which the author will fill the reader in on. The author incorporates small details in the back-story that will reoccur later in the text. The back-story is essential to the change that the character will go through during the book.
4. Find the villain- Promote students to look for the negative. Either a horrible event that effects the character, or a run in with a villainous character, it is important for students to know that this negative will help the character grow and mature. |
Description of character while reading:
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Thoughts-Actions-Dialogue
Character development can easily be broken down into three categories for students; Thoughts, actions, and dialogue.
- Thoughts- what the character is thinking or feeling throughout the story.
- Actions- What the character does but doesn’t say.
- Dialogue- What the character says to others.
Terms that are strong examples of a characters feelings:
- Shocked
- Thrilled
- Relieved
- Confused
- Excited
- Nervous
- Disappointed
- Embarrassed
- Jealous
- Discouraged
- Hopeful
- Desperate
- Annoyed
- Courageous
- Protective
- Sensitive
- Optimistic
- Thoughtful
- Inconsiderate
- Generous
- Independent
- Athletic
While teaching your students about character development, it is crucial for them to understand that there is always a cause for the characters change. This cause may be very obvious to students or may take a little deeper searching. Students will continue to grow more proficient at locating the cause of the characters’ change as time progresses.
When working with character development in the classroom, students are forced to think critically and voice their perspectives. Many times, students’ personal life experiences will directly relate to the struggle or problem the character is dealing with as well. Character development expresses to students that everyone goes through tough situations, but the way you handle yourself and better yourself from the situation, really shows what kind of character you are. It is important for students to see real life lessons throughout the texts that you read, even if the characters in the book are not human.
When working with character development in the classroom, students are forced to think critically and voice their perspectives. Many times, students’ personal life experiences will directly relate to the struggle or problem the character is dealing with as well. Character development expresses to students that everyone goes through tough situations, but the way you handle yourself and better yourself from the situation, really shows what kind of character you are. It is important for students to see real life lessons throughout the texts that you read, even if the characters in the book are not human.