Teach the Essentials of Good Character with The Essentialz

Kids think they need to be super to conquer the challenges holding them back from being heroic in everyday life. In Teach the Essentials of Good Character with The Essentialz^®, kids will learn how to master simple but essential character skills like the 12 superheroes who are The Essentialz.

In this book, each of the characters represents an important trait to teach students how to be comfortable in their own skin. This program is not only fun and engaging, but dialogue-provoking as well. Kids learn that even superheroes have flaws, which makes it easy for students to identify with the characters.

In Teach the Essentials of Good Character with The Essentialz^®, each character has an intriguing backstory, compelling personality traits or quirks, and a private challenge they must conquer that should be very familiar to the participants.

Character Education curriculum focuses on the following set of core values:

• Respect/Manners
• Honesty/Trustworthiness
• Fairness/Justice
• Responsibility/Accountability
• Caring/Tolerance of Others
• Good Citizenship

A fundamental principle behind Character Education is social emotional learning. Social psychologists discovered that many behaviors are learned either through conditioning or through modeling.

This entertaining book is a great resource for counselors, teachers, and psychologists to present the importance of good character in everyone. An accompanying slide show is available as a free download.

Shown below is the latest author interview featured on Prosocially Yours, a podcast produced by Research Press. Elizabeth Hess interviews school psychologist and author Paul Cicchini about his colorful creation of The Essentialz and how they can help advance character education.

School psychologist and author, Paul Cicchini, explains his SEL character-building curriculum in the video that uses his own original diverse group of teen superheroes, THE ESSENTIALZ, to teach character education.

PRAISE

“This book is an essential addition to the toolkit of all counselors, psychologists, and others working with youth. Paul Cicchini’s idea of having superheroes that embody virtues and SEL skills is an act of practical genius.”

—Maurice J. Elias, Ph.D., Director, Rutgers Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab, www.secdlab.org

“Paul Cicchini draws on the popularity of superheroes to create stories of positive character traits which can engage students of all ages. This is an effective way to help students see the importance of adapting beneficial character traits in their own lives.”

—William H. Trusheim, Ed.D., President, New Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional, and Character Development Resource Center

“This activity program is both a character compass and a moral-psychology guide for the adult leader and youthful participants. What is striking about this book is its potential for adaption by those interested in the assessment and importance of character education.”

—John C. Lestino, MA LPC, School Psychologist, Edgewater Park School District, Edgewater Park, New Jersey