Building Character from the Start Giveaway and Review

Does your child act like a lion or a lamb? Does the answer to that question change from minute to minute? Right now it changes from minute to minute at my house. Sometimes JDaniel is a love. He loves to learn, explore, share hugs, and follow directions. Sometimes he can roar like a lion throwing a temper tantrum. I hope to help him learn and explore all aspects of his character. I hope to help him learn why he does things and how to hone the great assets of his character.

I was given the opportunity to preview a great tool for parents, teachers, and counselors called Building Character from the Start: 201 Activities to Foster Creativity, Literacy, and Play in K-3 by Susan Ragsdale and Ann Saylor. As someone who taught primary aged children for twenty years, I found a lot of reason to love this book. You can open this book and start on an activity with very little preparation. The books include almost everything you would need. There alternative ways listed to complete activities. There is a wide variety of activities described. Each activity works on a particular set of character traits or what the author’s call assets.

The book is divided into three sections. The first is Finish the Pieces and Masterpiece Creations. It contains worksheet like pages with a coloring area and Let’s Talk Section. The Let’s Talk section offers questions you can ask a child about the picture they have created to fit the theme at the top of the page. The second section is Experience Books. It is my favorite section. Why? It takes wonderful children’s books and applies their lessons to everyday life. This section also contains a Let’s Talk section as well as an Explore More section. The Explore More section asks children to create or participate in activities that helps further put feet on the character trait you are working on. The final section is called Play and Move. This section is filled with games and activities to do with a class or group of children that will help them work on an aspect of their character. There are word games, team building, scavenger hunts, Olympic events, and more. There is also a Let’s Talk section with each activity.

You don’t have to be a classroom teacher or counselor to use and enjoy this book. A mom who wants to help her children be the best they can be would love it too.

Would you like a copy?

Buy it? Amazon is selling this book for $22.76.

Win it?

Here’s how?

*Tell me why you would love this book.( 1 entry)

For extra entries do any or all of the following leaving a separate comment for each entry.

•Tell me something you learned from their website.(1 entry)

•Leave a comment on their newsletter. (1 entry)

•Write about this giveaway with a link back to it on Facebook or another social network site. (1 entry)

•Leave comment on non-giveaway blog post. (1 entry)

•Follow my blog. Leave me a comment saying that you now follow or that you already do. (1 entry)

•Twitter about this giveaway with a link back, you must also be following me on Twitter. Copy and paste: BuildingCharacterGiveaway@JDaniel4’sMom(1 entry per day)

•Subscribe to my blog. Leave me a comment saying that you have subscribed or that you already do. (1 entry)

•Add me to your blog roll. Please leave a link to your site.(2 entries)

•Add my button to your blog. Please leave a link to your site.(2 entries)

That is 12 ways to win. The winner will be chosen by using the random number generator at http://www.random.org/. )

This giveaway begins March 10th and ends March 18th.


Disclaimer: I was sent two copies of this book. There was a preview copy and one to giveaway.