Multicultural literature promoting good character and enhancing moral citizenship for kindergarteners

Given the vast diversity of our student body, it is imperative that educators help children recognize the multifarious perspectives of others. Good character is formed by the teachings of the core ethical values that govern our lives such as honesty, responsibility, respect for others, and fairness. If children can develop a tolerance and understanding for other people at a young age, they will in turn be competent to analyze their own cultural, social, and political worlds (Morrell & Morrell, 2012). This will help them fathom pluralistic perspectives of various cultures and grow as a moral “whole” citizen. The purpose of this unit of instruction is to support the notion that character education through the lens of culturally diverse perspectives will promote good character and moral citizenship in kindergarten students. Through consequential multicultural texts, children will be open to new perspectives thus challenging assimilation to dominant belief systems.