Helping you and your child unleash their strengths
What is Strength Heroes?
It is a unique fun play based program that educates both child and adult in several social emotional topics. Topics such as managing emotions, establishing healthy relationships, setting positive goals are rarely explicitly taught or practiced, but when learnt, these skills and attitudes help children to feel motivated to succeed, believe in their abilities, overcome obstacles and learn to communicate better. The link between Social and Emotional Learning and Academic Achievement is growing.[i][ii]
It uses visual, auditory and kinaesthetic skills, combing principles of Positive Psychology and Character Strengths.
What is Positive Psychology?
It is the scientific study of optimal human functioning that aims to discover and promote the factors that allow individuals, groups and communities to thrive.[iii] It is about adopting positive emotions such as optimism and keeping things in perspective, engaging in activities that absorb, stretch and use all a child’s skills, developing strong and supportive relationships, engaging in activities that give purpose and setting goals that give a sense of accomplishment.
Developing Character Strengths
Character strengths are ‘pre-existing qualities that arise naturally, feel authentic and are intrinsically motivating to use.[iv] It is argued by developing and using as many of these strengths as possible ensures a child’s academic abilities are developed in unison with their character.
Why traditional approaches are limiting
The tendency is to teach children by asking them to think, write or by talking. In Strength Hero’s we teach children by encouraging them to do! Our hands-on thinking method is supported by the science of learning[v], well-being, positive psychology as well as neuro science. It is about creating and understanding concepts in the mind whilst playing with the hands. Everyone makes, everyone shares is a core principle of Strength Heroes.
Why Strength Heroes works
It’s hands on thinking – thinkering! It serves as a shared language regardless of culture or age using tangible and interactive tools tapping into children’s ability to imagine and make sense of life’s challenges. Also, it is fun….and it’s about doing!
Our Products
Incursions
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Professional Development
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[i] Tennant, R., Goens, C., Barlow, J., Day, C., & Stewart-Brown, S. (2007). A systematc review of reviews of interventons to promote mental health and prevent mental health problems in children and young people. Journal of Public Mental Health, 6(1), 25-32.
[ii] Payton, J., Weissberg, R. P., Durlak, J. A., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., Schellinger, K. B., et al. (2008). The positve impact of social and emotonal learning for kindergarten to eight-grade students: Findings from three scientfc reviews. Chicago, IL: Collaboratve for Academic, Social, and Emotonal Learning
[iii] Martin Seligman
[iv] White & Waters (2014) A Case study of ‘The Good School:’ Examples of the use of Petersens strengths based approach with students.
[v] Kafai(2006) Playing & Making Games for Learning