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Research by Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough among others has found that keeping a “gratitude journal,” provides people with mental and physical health benefits.

But would a child reap these benefits?

A study by Jeffrey Froh, Psy.D, and an assistant professor at Hofstra University revealed the answer.

Psychologist Jeffrey Froh infused middle–school classes with a small dose of gratitude—and found that it made students feel more connected to their friends, family, and their school. Continue reading

We hear a lot these days about giving children social skills, cultivating critical thinking, resilience, emotional intelligence and the like, but it all boils down to character — a concept neglected for much of the 20th century.

So Family Edge reader Blanca Reilly was excited to stumble upon a great academic article on this subject recently in the US journal Reclaiming Children and Youth (interesting title). In “Building Strengths of Character” Nansook Park, associate professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, reviews the literature in this field and describes a project he is involved in called Values In Action (VIA). Continue reading

“Every kid has at least one dominant learning style, says Kristin Redington Bennett, Ph.D., assistant professor of education at Wake Forest University, in Winston-Salem, NC, and a mom of two. In addition to body smart (known as bodily/kinesthetic), common learning styles include word smart (linguistic/auditory), image smart (visual/spatial), and numbers smart (logical/mathematical). This “theory of multiple intelligences” was first proposed by Harvard professor Howard Gardner, Ph.D., in the 1980s and has become so accepted that today teachers often adapt classroom activities to the different learning styles. For example, a lesson on the Pilgrims might include building a model of the Mayflower, writing a play about the first Thanksgiving, drawing pictures, and making a historical timeline.” Continue reading

What a wonderful way to share character ed tips and tools with teachers everywhere.  Great website!  This site is a curriculum sharing resource for educators. Continue reading

Every parent I have ever asked, what do you want most for your child? Responds with an answer that includes the word Happiness. However I have found that most parents are unsure of what real happiness is, let alone how to provide it to their children, or themselves for that matter. This article will give you a glimpse into how to discover what happiness means to you and your child, and five helpful tips to start your discovery today. Continue reading