Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility [Paperback]

Thomas Lickona (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0553370529 | ISBN-13: 978-0553370522 | Publication Date: September 1, 1992 | Edition: Bantam Trade Paperback Ed

Dr. Lickona's twelve-point program offers practical strategies designed to create a working coalition of parents, teachers, and communities in the interest of building character into the lives of young people today.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Lickona, a professor of education at the State University of New York and the author of the highly praised Raising Good Children , addresses the controversial topic of "values" education and its place in today's classrooms. In a well-balanced presentation distilling his decades of experience, Lickona suggests practical approaches that have been developed by several programs of moral education. Proceeding from the principle that "there is no such thing as value-free education," the author demonstrates that character development is as necessary as academic achievement, and that parents and school administrators are increasingly aware of this need. In his view, two great values, expressed as respect and responsibiity, should define the public school's moral agenda. Acknowledging that values education has often proved divisive, Lickona specifies strategies likely, he believes, to make moral education effective and less anxiety-provoking for parents and teachers. This important study will be a resource for those concerned with the "ethical illiteracy" of children.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Lickona, author of Raising Good Children ( LJ 9/15/83), views the school as a major force in responding to America's moral crisis. He defines values, discusses how they may be taught, and outlines the role of school and family. He emphasizes values as an important factor in the well being of a nation, family, and individual. His arguments are good ones. However, this is the age of diversification, political action committees, and special interest groups. Issues such as homosexuality, condom distribution, abortion, and AIDS call forth a number of opinions absolutely believed in with little tolerance for opposition, reasoned or otherwise. These aspects make a commonality or sharing of values a very difficult prospect. On a technical level, the lack of an index reduces the book's utility. Notwithstanding these criticisms, Educating for Character should be made available to teachers, future teachers, and parents.
- Federico U. Acerri, Wayne Cty. Regional Educational Svce. Agency, Mich.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; Bantam Trade Paperback Ed edition (September 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553370529
• ISBN-13: 978-0553370522
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.4 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #137,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, But Needs A Booster, August 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility (Paperback)

This book is very utilitarian, but it DOES need a little booster shot. To really understand what the author is telling you, read Norman Thomas Remick's "WEST POINT" as a companion book that gives "EDUCATING FOR CHARACTER" a solid philosophical foundation based on the sound principles practiced at the world's premier school for teaching character and leadership, West Point. This fine piece of work by the author becomes 5 star reading, learning, and enjoyment.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The "grandfather" of character education books..., March 3, 2004

By 

Stephen Armstrong (Hadley, Ma USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility (Paperback)

This 1992 book is the "grandfather" of all the books in character education. Lickona compiles his experience in moral and ethical education, along with many, many examples from classrooms and schools. Thus, this is an especially teacher-friendly book.

The theory is not expressed as clearly as it is in Ryan and Bohlin's Building Character in Schools, but Lickona's work is far more practical. A teacher or parent will get more from this book. I really loved his section on nine kinds of cooperative learning. In a way, his book is a combination of useful techniques in classroom-based moral philosophy and core moral knowledge applied to real-life youngsters who need the teacher's (and parents') perspectives to arrive at moral soundness.

Lickona thinks it is necessary to infuse moral training into all that the school does. He is flexible enough, however, to note that not all schools and not all faculty can support an infusion model. As a result, he is very practical about what individual teachers in their classrooms can do. This is a primary strength of the book.

I hope you enjoy this book.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic of immense influence, November 14, 2001

By 

John R. Williams (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility (Paperback)

Indispensable! Superb analysis of the issues involved in schools helping to raise moral young people. Lickona's lists of classroom and schoolwide strategies are without peer. Chock full (and I do mean chock full) of heartening, motivating examples of schools doing everything from simple service to elaborate projects involving the whole community. Written with a warm, sensible quality. This book is a classic of immense influence, read by educators and parents worldwide. It deserves to be.