Character traits are the qualities that make up one’s personality. If we are aware of our character traits then we can benefit from it in all aspects of life. They are the significant predictors of our attitudes and behaviors.
When kids are in their developmental years, they learn a lot just by observing everything in their homes and schools. Therefore, these are the places which play an important role in the character formation of children.
It is the responsibility of parents and teachers to teach the various character traits to the kids right from the early years. It is noticeable that teachers of the best Japan International school incorporate creative ways to teach the various character traits to their students.
What Are Character Traits For Kids?
Character traits are a combination of different qualities that make a character, such as feelings, thoughts, personality, and the choices kids make. Character traits are all the aspects in a kid’s attitude that develop their personality as individual adults. These traits make them who they are.
Kids learn them from their parents, teachers, and family members. They may even learn them from friends and the company that they keep. Character traits influence how children act and behave in their daily life. They can have either positive or negative characteristics.
What Are Positive Character Traits?
Positive character traits are strengths or personal attributes that reflect a person’s positive thought patterns, behaviors and feelings. By teaching what are positive personality traits and how to develop them can bring out the best in children. These traits help kids build good moral values and a strong character.
Developing positive traits in kids also help them succeed in life. So, as parents and teachers, it is our duty to inculcate good character traits in the kids. For example, being helpful to someone is a positive character trait. Positive character traits for students help them to focus on their strengths and flourish academically and socially.
What Are Negative Character Traits?
Negative character traits are part of each and every individual’s personality. Being aware of negative qualities and balancing them with positive ones might help people grow. Having a jealous nature towards someone is a negative character trait.
List Of Character Traits For Students
Character traits are the aspects of a person’s behavior and personality. It includes qualities like a person’s habits, conduct, or attitude. Every student has a positive and negative character trait.
While it is important to learn and develop the positive traits it is equally important to acknowledge the negative character traits for students and work to overcome them.
By working and balancing the positive characteristic traits and negative characteristic traits children will be able to develop a well-rounded positive personality with an intellect to handle the negative ones.
Students usually possess both good and bad character traits in their personalities. Both good and bad character traits for kids can help build their personality during their developmental years.
Below is a list of positive and negative student character traits list:
Positive Character Traits For Students
Below are some positive character traits for kids that they should learn in early childhood.
1. Kind
A person who treats everyone with kindness, showing empathy and consideration in all their interactions, making others feel valued and respected.
2. Loyal
Who is loyal to others, standing by their friends and family through thick and thin, demonstrating unwavering support and trustworthiness.
3. Generous
A person who does not hesitate to give his/her belongings to others, even though they might not get them back, always willing to share and help those in need.
4. Sincere
Who shows feelings and actions that are real and genuine, consistently demonstrating honesty and authenticity, creating trust and meaningful connections.
5. Persistent
Who does something continuously to ensure they complete the task successfully, never giving up despite challenges or obstacles, showing determination and resilience.
6. Open-minded
An open-minded person is open to accepting new ideas and theories, always willing to listen and consider different perspectives, fostering a culture of inclusivity and growth.
7. Brave
Who is ready to face fears in order to achieve a goal, showing courage in the face of adversity, inspiring others to be courageous as well.
8. Quiet
A person who knows where he/she is supposed to speak and where they have to be quiet, understanding the value of silence and reflection, promoting thoughtful communication.
9. Selfless
Who thinks of others before thinking about themselves, always putting the needs of others first, acting with compassion and generosity.
10. Optimistic
A person who sees the positive side of things, inspiring hope and positivity in those around them, even in challenging situations.
11. Adventurous
Willing to go outside of their comfort zone and try new things, embracing new experiences with enthusiasm and curiosity, making life exciting and fulfilling.
12. Athletic
They are physically strong and active, often participating in sports and physical activities, promoting health and wellness through an active lifestyle.
13. Dependable
Others know they are right and sometimes depend on them, being a reliable and trustworthy friend, always there when needed.
14. Fair
They treat others equally and fairly without being biased, ensuring justice and equality in their actions, promoting a sense of fairness and integrity.
15. Forgiving
They don’t hold onto grudges and forgive others wholeheartedly, fostering reconciliation and peace, helping to build stronger and healthier relationships.
16. Hardworking
They work hard to complete a given activity and build self-confidence, consistently putting in effort and dedication, achieving their goals through perseverance.
17. Humble
A humble person is not too proud or arrogant, showing modesty and respect towards others, recognizing the value and contributions of everyone.
18. Humorous
They do not take life too seriously and have fun with their friends by being humorous, bringing joy and laughter to those around them, creating a positive and enjoyable atmosphere.
Negative Character Traits For Students
Below are some negative character traits for kids that they should learn to avoid in early childhood.
1. Mean
A person who is unkind or unfair to others, often hurting their feelings intentionally.
2. Cruel
One who is unpleasant and causes pain to someone, either physically or emotionally.
3. Dishonest
A dishonest person has a tendency to lie or cheat others and cannot be trusted, leading to broken relationships.
4. Disloyal
Disloyal is someone who does not support his/her family or friends, betraying their trust and confidence.
5. Selfish
A person who thinks of his/her own benefit first, often ignoring the needs and feelings of others.
6. Jealous
A person who is unhappy or dislikes others’ achievements, often leading to resentment and bitterness.
7. Greedy
A greedy person is not satisfied with what he/she has and wants more, often at the expense of others.
8. Impatient
A person who is not patient, or cannot wait for something, showing frustration and intolerance.
9. Petty
Someone is said to be petty when they care too much about small and unimportant things, often making a big deal out of trivial matters.
10. Unforgiving
A person who holds on to even smaller mistakes of others and does not forgive easily, causing prolonged conflicts and tension.
Why To Teach Positive Traits For Kids?
Kids can learn the best character traits in school and at home which would help them to become successful adults in their upcoming years. These characteristic traits play an important role in molding the children into ideal citizens as well as responsible workers.
Let us see the various benefits of teaching these character traits for kids-
1. Helps The Future Self Of Children
By being aware of the character traits kids learn to understand what they truly want. They learn to listen to others and understand their needs. Preschoolers become good problem solvers as they try to find solutions that work for all the parties involved.
As kids learn these skills, they develop a strong self-esteem and self- confidence that help them navigate their future life. Learning about the traits at a young age helps children develop grit and resilience along with forgiveness and integrity.
2. Sets Them Up For Lifelong Learning
Various studies have shown that when character trait education from the positive character traits list is included in the school curriculum, academic performances and pupils attendance increases, while disciplinary problems tend to decrease.
In Elementary school in Japan, kids are taught and encouraged to develop positive character traits such as fairness, honesty, compassion, and patience. This creates a safe atmosphere where children want to be. It also helps kids feel prepared to learn and absorb necessary skills to become lifelong learners.
3. Kids Learn Responsibility
The kids learn that they are responsible to take care of themselves and make their environment safe for others. This leads them to understand that they are also responsible to do their best in learning, academics, and in friendships.
4. Have Better Relationships
Kids who are taught what are character traits examples are better at understanding these traits and thus maintaining healthy relationships both at school and outside of the school. They learn to be more caring, forgiving, responsible, and compassionate. Kids also learn to cooperate with others, to tolerate different opinions and viewpoints, and to respect the needs of others.
5. Helps Kids To Be A Good Neighbor And Citizen
When kids are taught that their behavior has an impact on others, they learn that they matter and have a place in their community and beyond. They feel anchored and important, and this leads them to be their best selves in all the aspects of life.
These children when they become adults and take on roles as business owners, employees, parents, neighbors, and more, they contribute in meaningful ways to a better society and world.
How Do You Teach Character Traits For Kindergarten?
It is important that kids acquire character traits to be successful in life and become well behaved individuals. Many of these positive characteristic traits serve the kids well in their adult life and help them to accomplish academically.
You can teach essential character traits for kindergarten in fun and creative ways as below:
1. Do An Art Project Involving The Children’s Character Traits
Have the kids draw a cartoon caricature and ask them to label it. Let the kids jot down 5 of the character traits which describe themselves. Then ask them to write the traits around the cartoons.
2. Share Stories And Experiences
Bedtime stories are one of the great and easiest ways to teach your child about the positive and negative character traits. Show excitement and share with them your childhood experiences. Mention the various traits while talking about a person such as nice, kind, angry, etc.
3. Read Fiction Books
Read popular fiction books or the ones who’s character names the kids might be familiar with, e.g. superman, spiderman.
4. Use Fairy Tales
One of the great ways to teach character traits for kindergarten is through fairy tales. Fairy tales often have black and white types of characters, which make them ideal for identifying character traits. It can be fun to compare the traits of the heroes and villains portrayed in such fairy tales.
5. Treat Others With Kindness
Teach them what are good character traits by being a role model to them. Teach her/ him compassion by treating others with kindness and respecting everyone.
6. Adjective Word Mat
You can create a handy word mat. It should contain pictures of pupils showing different examples for character traits like caring, generous, shy, angry, cruel, and more. Encourage kids to write down more of the traits on a paper that they would know.
7. Positive And Negative Traits Chart
Prepare a chart with a list of positive and negative traits. Show it to the students and let them choose the ones they believe are true to them.
8. Traits Of Family Members
Ask the children to get a picture of each of their family members. Tell them to stick them in their craft notebooks and write the respective traits beside their pics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are examples of character traits?
Examples of character traits include honesty, loyalty, generosity, and impatience. These are just a few among the many different types of character traits that can help you gain insight into yourself and others.
