Kids' Own Wisdom provides 3-4 opportunities each week, for groups of young children to engage in relevant, age-appropriate discussions that help them discover commonly shared values with their classmates. Without the benefit of Kids' Own Wisdom group discussions, they have no real way of knowing (unless they're mind readers) that they all feel pretty much the same way about bullying, teasing, cheating, inconsideration, pushing, interrupting ...

Kids' Own Wisdom is a collection of 2-part contrasting illustrations, complete with open ended, non-biased, non-judgmental, non-leading questions that invite kids to respond to situations that depict unfairness/fairness, meanness/kindness, selfishness/consideration, etc. When young kids regularly experience listening to and being heard by each other, walls of isolation and separation cannot take hold. The consequences of ongoing revelations of shared values about what we all, deep down, **care about can only fortify a sense of connectedness and community.

A key element of Kids' Own Wisdom is the instruction to teachers: LISTEN. (Listen with all your heart and mind. Listen as if the kids thoughts and feelings really matter. When they answer "Yes" or "No," ask them "Why was that your answer? Tell us more." No lectures required. No labels required. Numerous questions are provided for each illustration to help uncover layers of kids' understanding, give them numerous opportunities for focused self-expression and learn how much they all really have in common.)

**Empathy, awareness of others' rights, natural desire to create solutions.

(The first set of materials for ages 4-6 have been tested in numerous preschools and kindergartens in California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado, and one town in India. They're now ready for wide distribution. A second and third set for the same age group is ready for professional art work. Sets for ages 7-10 are also ready for professional art work.)

Problema

Kids need to experience + understand, at the earliest possible point in their formative years, that they are not alone in their: √ Understanding of how fairness, hurtfulness, kindness, inconsideration, carelessness, teasing, etc. feel. √ Comprehension about the differences between between right + wrong, constructive + destructive, healthy + unhealthy choices. √ Ability to find real solutions that improve situations for all, including, but not limited to themselves. When these discoveries are shared within groups of children (starting with preschoolers - second graders), through consistent + engaging interactions (as compared to passively being read or lectured to) the illusion of isolation + separation does not take hold. Instead a solid sense of community in which empathy and increased awareness of others naturally takes root + grows. This is relevant for any and all groups of 4-6 year olds across the full spectrum of socio-economics. The strength of this approach is in its use with groups of kids. (4-15 kids at a time, ideally. It is possible to implement with bigger groups of kids, though it's very important that all kids have an opportunity to express themselves in response to the contrasting scenarios presented to them.)

Solução

Kids' Own Wisdom (KOW) provides 2-part sets of age-appropriate, colorfully appealing illustrations that show contrasting behaviors in widely varying scenarios. Included with each contrasting illustration: 10-15 questions that consistently enliven + engage groups of kids to think about + contribute to discussions, thus learning, through direct perception, how much they all feel similarly when viewing scenes that depict unkindness/kindness, unfairness/fairness, thoughtlessness/thoughtfulness - towards kids, adults, animals, environment. Questions in KOW don't always stay on the action that's illustrated, because the more peripheral connections that kids can perceive within any situation, the more each situation is connected to the 'whole' of their lives. The more 'dots' that get connected in kids' awareness, the more they feel connected to the "Big Picture," to each other, to themselves ... thus expanding awareness of the oneness of life = a powerful antidote to treating others as "separate." Putting Kids' Own Wisdom into the hands of Preschool teachers across the US, at first, then other English speaking countries, followed by Spanish speaking countries will depend on intelligent distribution channels. (I will definitely need experienced help in that department.)

Exemplo

Kids' Own Wisdom makes a real difference for a few important reasons: (1) Kids need to express what they know in order to engage more firmly with what they deep down understand. (Being read to or lectured to does not accomplish this goal.) (2) Kids' sense of community is genuinely enriched when they hear each other express what they, deep from within their hearts and minds, all comprehend ... but never really knew that they ALL know, until they've heard each other express themselves - in natural, unforced discussions. (3) Behaviors change because kids who are causing problems can hear how others feel about specific behaviors (pushing, not sharing, cheating, teasing, etc.) without ever being put on the defensive or being directly addressed. All kids prefer to be liked and connected with their peers, and once they can see themselves through others' eyes, in the most neutral way, they adjust their own behavior with no fuss, at all. For real. TEACHER'S ROLE: Ask questions provided with each Kids' Own Wisdom scenario set. Listen to answers. REALLY listen... to as many students as possible for each question - and as teacher deems appropriate. When students respond with 'Yes' or 'No' answers be sure to let them know you're interested in why they answered as they did. Students expressing themselves about situations that are relevant to everyone in the class will be interesting to everyone in the class, so everyone does listen to everyone else. Allow discussions to meander, when constructive, move on to next question when appropriate. Provide minimal commentary and zero labeling. (Kids listen to + learn from each other ... and one of THE most important things they learn in Kids' Own Wisdom conversations is how similar are their responses to a full range of relevant, age-appropriate situations. Sample questions: PICTURE #1: Girl pulling a kitten's tail. Who'd like to be the kitten in this picture? Why is that your answer (WITYA)? What sound is that kitten making? Is that girl thinking about the kitten's feelings? WITYA? What'll the kitten do if she doesn't stop pulling its tail? If you were this kitten, would you want to be friends with the girl? WITYA? PICTURE #2. Same girl pulling a ribbon for kitten to chase: Which kitten would you rather be? The one in the 1st picture or 2nd picture? WITYA? Who thinks the kitten + this girl will be friends for a long time? WITYA? How many of you have a pet at home? What kind of pet do you have? What do you do with your pet? What do pets need so they feel like we're taking good care of them? How do you make your pet happy? How does your pet make you happy? *** PICT #1: Kids playing Hide N Seek- "IT" is peeking: What game are these kids playing? Who likes to play this game? Who likes to be "IT?" WITYA? Who likes to hide? WITYA? What does it look like "IT" is doing in this picture? Who would you rather hide from - someone who peeks or someone who keeps eyes closed? WITYA? Why do some people peek? PICT #2: Same pict-no peeking: What's different in this pict? Which is more like playing - peeking or not? WITYA? What's easier - peeking or not? Why do some people peek? I've peeked - have you? Why did you peek? *** Preschool and kindergarten children, from a numerous cities and states, have had the "lights go on" when they've been presented with the conversation topics. The beauty of their innocence, combined with their guileless response to the variety of questions opens their minds and hearts to

Ofertas e demandas

Before people understand KIDS' OWN WISDOM's unique approach and contribution, they compare it to Second Step (http://secondstep.org/). But there really is no comparison, even though they both - on the surface - address social skills, character development, empathy, etc. Second Step is expensive and requires formal training, as well as puppets and other props. Another expensive, complex program is Character Counts (http://charactercounts.org/). Those two programs are way ahead of me in their marketing expertise, an arena in which - after much testing and receipt of numerous professional endorsements - Kids' Own Wisdom materials are ready for broad distribution - nationally and internationally.