Growing up presents many challenges and positive learning experiences. Helping young people understand, name and talk about their and other peoples strengths can improve their relationships with their friends, family, and the wider community.
The interactive Character Toolkit Strengths Cards enable children to learn, recognise and express all sides of their character. The cards promote character strengths such as
perseverance, grit and leadership alongside moral and civic strengths such as gratitude and kindness.
These cards have been designed to allow teachers, parents and counsellors in coaching settings to explore all character strengths within children. Included is a booklet of different
activities that provide suggestions for using the strengths cards. These include activities that encourage children to describe the strength they are most proud of, or how to
identify strengths in others around them.
These positive, helpful and authentic strengths cards will be a useful classroom resource, focusing on encouraging the next generation to be their best self.
Market: Mainly schools, and possibly school counsellors or social workers. Possibly parents who wish to use these cards to encourage self-esteem and confidence.
Frederika Roberts is a professional speaker and a qualified teacher working towards an MSc in Applied Positive Psychology. She frequently features in media interviews on happiness and resilience.
Elizabeth Wright is a professional speaker and is currently studying for a MA in Character Education. She is an Australian Paralympian with bronze and silver medals. She has written comment pieces for the Guardian on disability.
The cards have been used with children ranging from Nursery to Year 5 and all have been able to engage at different levels. The language used makes them very accessible. The children could talk about resilience as bounce-back-ability and could make links to personal experiences. The content of the cards really helped them to think about their approaches to learning and life. For example, at Lancot, we often talk about being brave in our learning and using the cards such as Adventurousness added depth to this. The prompts on each card proved to be helpful and relevant, as they enabled the adults to begin and sustain the dialogue between groups and with individuals. Its very easy to see the potential for how these cards could be used in a whole-class setting, as well as small groups and one-to-one. -Jenny Fraser, Deputy Headteacher, Lancot Challenger Academy
An important aspect of character education is what might be called virtue literacy. This is that we know and understand what the virtues are as well as why they are important. The Character Toolkit Strength Cardshelp develop virtue literacy as they bring visibility to the everyday character virtues that are fundamental for individual and societal flourishing. -Dr Tom Harrison; Reader in Character Education and Lead on the MA Character Education, University of Birmingham
The Character Toolkit Strength Cards are a fantastic addition to the book Character Toolkit for Teachers. The cards have really helped to explain the character traits in an age appropriate way and the illustrations demonstrate the traits well too. They have been really useful to refer to for home learning too. -Malinda Young, Associate Principal, LEO Academy Trust
Frederika and Elizabeth have hit it out of the park again. I love the interactive Character Toolkit Strength Cards. The activities associated with the cards are super fun and the cards are engaging. I cannot wait to play the cards with my patients and students. -Dr. Caren Baruch-Feldman, psychologist and author of The Grit Guide for Teens
These cards are simply brilliant. A fun, positive and encouraging way to explore personal characteristics and character strengths. Ive used these to support my coaching, teaching and time at home with my family...Ive even used them successful in the staff room!
Who doesnt like to know what theyre good at? These cards provide a fun and explorative way to talk openly about character.
-Chris Reddy, leadership coach and founder of Bright Leaders
