About Us
CharacterQ™ consists of teacher-friendly, ready-to-use curriculum kits that incorporate social-emotional learning, positive character education, and mindfulness lessons that empower children to flourish both inside and outside of school.
The highly-effective program has been implemented by schools for the past 15 years, and it is loved by children, parents, and teachers alike. It has a proven track-record of enhancing children’s school performance and optimizing their positive mental health and well-being.
CharacterQ™ was specially designed for primary-aged children by a Child Behaviour Specialist, a Mindfulness-Based Wellness Educator, and a primary teacher with 25 years of teaching experience who received direct training from Dr. Daniel Goleman, the Harvard professor and leading international expert in the field of Emotional Intelligence.
CharacterQ™ teaches children in a stimulating, interactive way through the use of puppets, drama, art, music, storybooks, and games. They learn explicit, concrete skills and strategies in the following areas:
- Self-Awareness and Self-Esteem
- Friendship, Communication, and Social Skills
- Empathy, Emotional Awareness, and Emotion Management
- Self-Regulation and Positive Decision Making
- Problem-Solving and Conflict Resolution Skills
- Optimism, Resiliency, and Having a Growth Mindset
- Mindfulness, Focusing, and Relaxation Practices
CharacterQ™ also provides teachers with positive behaviour management tools that help them to foster classrooms that are safe, caring, inclusive, and respectful.
CharacterQ™ supports parents as well by providing them with a monthly, comprehensive newsletter written by a Parenting Expert that is filled with important tips and simple, fun activities for raising respectful, caring, emotionally-healthy, and socially-skilled children at home.
CharacterQ™ Program Options
CharacterQ™ can be implemented in schools and educational centres in the following two ways:
- Grades K-3 Programs: This option allows children to receive the CharacterQ™ program from Kindergarten to Grade 3. Each grade level program teaches a different set of social-emotional skills and positive character traits.
- A Pre-K and Kindergarten Stand-Alone Program: This option is for preschools that serve children up to the end of Kindergarten, or for elementary schools that only wish to implement the CharacterQ™ program at the Pre-K and Kindergarten levels. The program contains the most essential social-emotional skills, mindfulness practices, and positive character traits taught in the Grades K-3 programs.
How CharacterQ™ Maximizes Children’s EQ
CharacterQ™ was developed on the basis of current research that shows that developing children’s EQ skills is just as important as developing their IQ skills. Indeed, it has been found that the level of social-emotional competence that children achieve in the primary years is a significant and reliable predictor of all their later school and life success. Research also shows that children who are emotionally intelligent:
- Have high levels of self-esteem and self-confidence
- Show improved academic ability and school performance
- Are able to relate to adults and peers in positive, healthy ways
- Demonstrate emotional well-being and positive mental health
- Have increased overall happiness and life success
CharacterQ™ teaches children EQ skills in an explicit, concrete manner. Each EQ skill is broken down into three easy-to-follow steps or components, and they’re presented on a visual skill chart that children can take home. Children have fun as they learn, and they’re given plentiful opportunities to discuss, practice, and role-play the social-emotional skills and strategies being taught.
How CharacterQ™ Maximizes Children’s Positive Character Development
CharacterQ™ teaches children the specific skills needed to demonstrate a large variety of positive character traits in their everyday lives (e.g., being respectful, being cooperative, being caring, being responsible, etc.). Studies reveal that children with good character not only thrive throughout their childhood, they’re better able to lead happy, productive lives as adults. But good character doesn’t just happen; it needs to be carefully taught and nurtured in children at a young age since a child’s character is formed by the time s/he is eight years old.
Research also shows that classrooms that focus on character education experience the following benefits:
- The development of a safe, caring, and inclusive classroom environment
- Fewer disciplinary issues and displays of problem behaviours (i.e., bullying, non-compliance)
- Students who show respect and care for their peers and teachers
- Students who are focused, motivated, and engaged in their learning
- Increases in the academic achievement of students
How CharacterQ™ Maximizes the Development of Mindfulness in Children
Mindfulness refers to a state of calm and focused awareness that is attained when the body and mind are relaxed and stilled. Research shows the tremendous benefits of doing mindfulness training with children. It has been found to:
- Develop attention, concentration, and learning abilities
- Reduce stress and anxiety, and boost optimism and resiliency
- Facilitate emotional control and self-regulation skills
- Decrease bullying and aggression
- Increase compassion and empathy towards others
- Improve well-being, physical health, and mental health
CharacterQ™ teaches mindfulness to children through simple practices such as deep belly breathing, sensory focusing, and guided visualizations. Children also learn how to calm and relax their bodies and minds; and how to ground and centre themselves.
