Four motivating activities to teach core values through reading

Nicola Schofield
A young girl sat at a desk smiling at the front of the class, with other students in the background.
Reading time: 4 minutes

Teaching ourÌýchildren coreÌývalues is so important in helping them to becomeÌýhappy,Ìýwell-balancedÌýcitizens who will make a positive contributionÌýtoÌýour future society.Ìý

Values are present and visible everywhere and they areÌýtheÌýfoundation or starting point from where we make our decisions, which ultimately determine our futures. It is,Ìýtherefore,Ìýimportant that our children learn a strong, moral set of values that will help guide them as they grow older,Ìýinform their decisions,Ìýhelp them toÌýknow right from wrong, solve problems, assert themselves and build self-esteem and confidence.

Values can beÌýbuiltÌýon aÌýpersonal level or evenÌýshared atÌýa group level such as a family and friendship group.ÌýHowever, we often see them on a larger scale within communities, countries or even the whole world.Ìý

Having a shared set of values connects peopleÌýon a deeper levelÌýand helps us to all work towards the same goals and standards – they canÌýeven encourage people to see the similarities between each other, rather than theÌýdifferences.Ìý

Learning values through reading

Children learn about values through their families, friends, and teachers, through what they watch or listen to and through their life experiences. They also learn about valuesÌýthrough the books they read.ÌýThese lessonsÌýcan be subtle but are oftenÌýextremely powerful andÌýcanÌýhave a significant impact and influence.

As an example, let’s have a look at how shared valuesÌýareÌýexplored in theÌýnew graded readers series for young learners,ÌýDisney Kids Readers, where special emphasis has been put on exploring values within a story.ÌýAt the end, you will find severalÌývalue-based activitiesÌýthat you can download for use in the classroom orÌýasÌýan activity at home.Ìý

HowÌýdo Disney Kids Readers teach core values?

  1. Learning through stories that are already familiar can help children to trust in and take on board the key messages much more easily. Familiarity can break down many barriers to communication and help us understand that values are often universal.Ìý
  2. Many children are also familiar with the Disney characters and can find inspiration from reading how they react to situations in life, make decisions and behave. Children often look up to characters and can see them as role models within their own lives. As a result, the readers can be a reference point on how to respond to key life moments and how to incorporate values into real life.
  3. Also, depending on the child's age, some values may be new and children may not yet have experience with them in the real world. Therefore, the Disney stories allow them to explore these key messages through their favorite Disney character’s point of view.Ìý

Each Disney Kids Reader is linked to a key valueÌýand contains a ‘Values’ page with aÌýshortÌýcomicÌýstripÌýthat brings to life a specific value.Ìý

The list below detailsÌýa selection ofÌýkey values taught across the readers.ÌýYou could askÌýthe childrenÌýin your classÌýto talk about which values are most important to them and why. Ask them to give an exampleÌýofÌýa time when they have demonstrated this value in their own lives.Ìý

Friendship, positivity, curiosity, confidence, open-mindedness, courage, determination, self-belief, responsibility, resilience, respect, honesty.

Examples of key values inÌýDisney stories

InÌýThe Jungle Book,ÌýfriendshipÌýis a keyÌývalue,Ìýand we learn that it is important to help our friends. Baloo helps Mowgli when he is alone in the jungle and scared. An angry tiger wants Mowgli to leave the jungle, but when Mowgli meets Baloo, he finds a friend in him. Baloo sees that Mowgli is scared and looks after him.ÌýWe learn that it is important to help our friends when they are in need.Ìý

Do:ÌýAsk the children when they have helped their friends.

InÌýInside Out, we learn aboutÌýsincerityÌýandÌýhowÌýimportantÌýit is to talk about how we are feeling. Riley is a teenager struggling with a whole range of emotions and we learn that life isn’t about being happy all the time and that it is okay to be sad sometimes. The children learn that this is a normal part of life and that talking it through with a friend, a parent or a teacher can help.

Do:ÌýAsk the children if they share their feelings with others.

Here are some activities for you to use with your class to help put into practice the core values from the readers. You can use these activities with any book, in and outside the classroom.

1. My Values Road Sign (L3-4)

This activityÌýisÌýa great way of talkingÌýtoÌýchildrenÌýabout their values. By creating a road sign poster,Ìýit will help them to decide which values are most important to them and it is something that they canÌýreferÌýto again and again in challenging times. They can stick it on their bedroom wall, display it on the fridge or you could even make a classroom display of shared valuesÌýwhen children have finishedÌýtheirÌýbooks!

Download the worksheet

Ìý2. Kindness Calendar (L4-6)

This activity can be done as a family, with friends or as a class. The children fill in the calendar with kind actions they are going to do for 7 days. They can cut them out and placeÌýthemÌýinto a jar and ask a different family member/friend/classmate to choose one a day. Do this for a week and discuss how carrying out kind actions makes them feel.ÌýChances areÌýit will make them feel good!

Download the worksheet

3. Core Values Quiz (L5-6)

Try this quiz with your class and test their values. The questions focus on the following values: sincerity, honesty, positivity, resilience and friendship. If they answer mostly As, then they already demonstrate most of the values in their lives. If they answer mostly Bs, talk to them about why it is important to be honest, positive, strong and kind. The quiz will start a meaningful conversation about their own values and how they react to common situations in life.

Download the worksheet

4. My future self (L1-2)

The childrenÌýfill in the crystal ball with pictures of who they would like to be in the future. Do they want to be smart, funny, have a good job, live abroad, have a family, be rich, be a good friend or help the planet? Which of the plans make one personÌý(themselves)ÌýhappyÌýand which plans make the world better? Do they need to change any of them?

Download the worksheet

Read our blog posts 'Fostering self-care and wellbeing through the world of reading'Ìýand 'The importance of teaching values to young learners'.

Explore our English Readers

More blogs from ɫèAV

  • A group of friends smiling

    How language learning can improve your life for the better

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 7 minutes

    Language learning is more than just something you study—it's a strategic move that integrates into every aspect of your life—socially, professionally and mentally. With English often being the common ground for global business, communicating effectively in this language has never been more important.
    In this post, we uncover the benefits of language proficiency, particularly in English, backed by relevant statistics and insights from ɫèAV's recentÌýground-breaking new research.

  • A group of business people clapping their hands

    3 ways to boost employee retention with language learning

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    Did you know? According to our research, employees who work for a company that provides English language training are more thanÌýtwice as likelyÌýto say they are very satisfied at work, compared to those working in companies that do not.

    To retain top talent in an increasingly competitive marketplace, all evidence points to developing communication and language skills.

    Communication: the most in-demand business skill

    showed that communication skills including English language skills are the most in-demand power skills across the board. PwC’s agrees: the top five predictors for employee turnover all had the same themes in common – communication, empathy and listening skills.

    According to , a focus on developing employees’ strengths (as opposed to focusing on fixing weaknesses) can lead to a 20-73% reduction in employee attrition. That’s a startling statistic and one that has the potential to transform your business.

    So, the message is clear: by investing in your employees’ existing communication and language strengths, you’re helping them refine a comprehensive range of business power skills. In turn, this will make them feel more engaged and therefore far more likely to stay with you.

    3 ways to implement English training to retain top talent

    Let’s explore three ways to implement an English language skills learning and development plan that underpins communication skills, refines business soft skills and makes your employees want to stay.

    1. Find out what training employees want

    To tailor a culture of learning that supports the development of your employees’ language and communication skills, you’ll find it helpful to get their input first. Survey and interview your team to better understand current barriers to language-specific learning, skills gaps, preferred learning styles and current frustrations.

    For example, is it speaking, listening or reading English that they currently struggle with the most? The better you understand your employees’ needs, the more consulted and engaged with the process they’ll feel.

    2. Reward those who commit to language learning

    In 2023, Forbes outlined , and perhaps unsurprisingly, reward featured strongly. Your performance management system should include a structure that acknowledges employees who are committing to achieving their objectives and developing their skills, and demonstrates the career trajectory that might be possible with improved communication and language skills.

    What that looks like will differ from organization to organization, but it’s important that employees understand the potential opportunities that come with refining their language skills.

    3. Promote the link between language skills and career progression

    Your employees may not naturally make the link between developing language skills and career progression, so help them understand how better language skills can help them move forward in their role and how you will support them in this.

    When they see that language skills have been built into their development plans, they’ll feel invested in staying with your organization and developing their skills with you.

    In a world where communication-based soft skills are more valuable than ever before, the ability to confidently converse in different languages within a business context is an impressive skill that’s transferable to a multitude of other business soft skills, such as teamwork, leadership and problem-solving.

    Once they understand the full range of benefits that come with developing their language skills, they’ll be grateful that you’re committed to helping them do that and will be more likely to stay.

    Boost your workforce’s English language skills and reap the business benefits

    It’s clear that when employees feel that their communication skills are improving, they feel a sense of continued progression and engagement – not only in their language abilities but also across a range of other business power skills.

    The key to retaining talent lies in increasing engagement, and since higher engagement rates are linked to , according to Gallup, there really is no better way to retain a happy workforce.

    Start building your team’s English language skills

    Learn how Mondly by ɫèAV can help you reinforce a culture of learning and retain top talent within your organization, with flexible English language learning solutions for your business.

    If you liked this blog post and want to learn more,Ìýdownload the PDF report here.

    Find out more about how language training and assessment can drive your business forward by checking out our resources for HR professionals, including articles, whitepapers and research.

  • Office works stood in a cubicle and in a hallway talking

    Goal setting: A path to achieving team fluency

    By Samantha Ball

    Reading time: 5 minutes

    We know businesses that invest in skills development are more likely to retain top talent, and see many other benefits as well. Upskilling your team's English proficiency can have a transformative effect on the business, leading to new opportunities, growth, and a more engaged workforce. However, implementing a corporate language learning program can be challenging. Using traditional goal-setting frameworks can support you and your team on this journey. Here's how: