The advantages of being able to read and write can hardly be overstated. Ideas are the most powerful things in the world and the written word is their sacred repository. But, this vast repository contains both good ideas and bad ideas, and the most empowering thing in the world is to be able to distinguish one from the other. Throughout history, individuals and nations have ruined themselves for want of this ability.

So, as we teach our children how to read and write, whether at home or at school, it is incumbent upon us to help them not only learn how to distinguish one word from another, but also how to distinguish one idea from another. To help you understand how to do this, let me first introduce you to a concept called character based learning. I think you'll find it a good idea.

Character based learning is learning in which students are improving their reasoning skills, increasing their knowledge, and enlarging their moral understanding-all at the same time. When these three processes occur together, children are not only strengthened in their resolve to live virtuous and productive lives, they are also given the tools that will enable them to do so. In other words, we are empowering them with the ability to recognize right from wrong-to distinguish good ideas from bad ideas.

In order for character based learning to take place, it is necessary for the head, the heart, and often the hand to be engaged in the learning process. Few things are better suited for this process than good literature, whether factual or fictional.

Good literature is food for the mind and food for the soul. And, when coupled with appropriate discussion and writing exercises, good literature is capable of providing children with extraordinary insights into the nature of right and wrong-of why some things are good and others bad, and why it is terribly important to be able to distinguish the one from the other.

In applying character based learning techniques to the teaching of reading and writing skills, we are pursuing three objectives at the same time. 1) We are teaching young people how to read and write. 2) We are teaching them how to distinguish between right and wrong, and 3) We are helping them develop their reasoning skills.

In applying character based learning techniques to teaching reading and writing, there is an important rule we need to always keep in mind.

Only Motivated Children Learn to Read and Write

The motivation or desire to read is purely a function of interest. Interest is generated by essentially three things-curiosity (a desire to know or understand), enjoyment (the pleasure of learning or being entertained), and necessity (a recognized need to know.)

There are three people I believe every child should get to know. As young children, the lives of each of these individuals were dramatically changed by learning how to read and write.

The first person is Frederick Douglass, a boy who recognized a need to know. Every young person should know the incredible story of how he learned to read and write. It is the story of an eight year old slave boy who realized that if he ever wanted to be something other than a slave, he needed to learn how to read and write. Illiteracy creates its own form of slavery and this idea is as relevant today as it was then.

The second person is Helen Keller. The story of Helen Keller and what happened that day at the well is familiar to most of us. But, I wonder how many of us realize the significance of the idea that made her little body tremble with excitement. The idea that brought new meaning and purpose to her life. What was this idea that empowered her with the ability to think and reason, to comprehend and understand for the first time in her life, and infused her soul with a hunger to learn? It was the realization that words have meaning! It's an idea many who have never been either deaf nor dumb have failed to grasp. With that realization, Helen developed an insatiable joy in learning.

The third person is Ben Carson, a boy who discovered a new interest. You can read Ben's story in a book titled "Gifted Hands.It is a book about a boy who in his early years of schooling mostly received D's and F's on his report card, but when once his interest was fired, went on to become a prominent neurosurgeon. The person who turned his life around was his mother. She believed he could do much better so she turned off the TV set and told him that he could only watch two TV programs a week and that he had to read at least two books a week. He was obedient, if not happy with the rule, but soon found he had an interest in science books. This interest became the basis for his rise from an F student to an A student, and eventually made it possible for him to become one of the foremost surgeon's in his field. For Ben, what began with little curiosity about a science book led to an eminent career as a brain surgeon.

In developing lesson plans or selecting reading material we need to continually strive to make sure that students recognize their need to know, have an interest in, or derive pleasure from what we are asking them to read.

The most important experience children need to have in reading may best be described by the word nourishment. As we teach children to read, it is very important that we strive to nourish their hungry minds. To do this we must expose them to nourishing literature. So what is nourishing literature? Let me begin by telling you what it's not.

It is not cotton candy-literature with only entertainment value. We all enjoy a little cotton candy in life, but if all we ever ate was cotton candy, we would be sick, weak, and probably toothless. The same is true with mental food. Literature with only entertainment value does little to nourish young and growing minds.

It is not Tofu-literature with no entertainment value. Now, while Tofu may be a healthy food, it is hardly an interesting one of itself, and as a result, many refuse to eat it. If literature does not engage the mind, it will never be ingested-much less digested.

Finally, it is not chicken that's been left out all day-literature with toxic ideas or information. While the chicken may look and taste just fine, it can be fatal to those who eat it. In "The Decent of Man", Charles Darwin wrote, "Whatever makes any bad thought familiar to the mind, renders its performance so much the easier."

But, here we come to an important difference between physical and mental food. Once a choice has been made to consume healthy food for the body, physical nourishment occurs as a natural, unconscious process. Mental food, however, must be consciously digested to derive full nutritional benefit. Mere consumption is not sufficient

Therefore, in teaching children right from wrong, we must encourage them to give conscious thought to what they read and write. We can best do this by: 1. Helping them to recognize important ideas when they encounter them, and 2. Providing opportunities for them to express their thoughts about these ideas

Sir. Francis Bacon wrote, "Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man." The reason is simple. We understand ideas at one level when we hear them, at another when we read them, still another when we discuss them, and yet another when we write them. Expressing an idea in writing requires a greater exactness of understanding than speaking. In the same vein, a greater exactness is required in speaking than reading and reading than hearing. Hence, the very process of communicating an idea to others helps us to examine it more closely and think about it more deeply.

Discussion may be facilitated by employing the HIF Questions:

Hindsight Questions require students to reflect on what they already know about the topic or matter at hand.

Insight Questions require students to probe for new or increased understanding of the topic or matter at hand.

Foresight Questions require students to look ahead and anticipate how this information may help them in the future.

With close attention to providing students with exposure to nourishing literature and opportunities to discuss, either verbally or in writing, the ideas or lessons the literature provides, we can do much toward providing our young with the ability to distinguish bad ideas from good ideas.