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:
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™ can be implemented in schools and educational centres in the following two ways:
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:
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.
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:
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:
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.