Affies4Kids...

Recently I was asked to review a new product for children called Affies4Kids.   Affies4Kids is a program that is designed to teach young children the language of positive self talk through books, songbook videos, and activities.  

The lessons are designed to take five minutes a day for each of the seven days of the week.  Each of the songs are based on books written by the Affie team, and with each book there is a week long "character education" lesson plan.  They  cover subjects such as being dependable, kind, taking turns, being helpful, making good choices, and other character traits.  Each Affie of the week is broken down into five days worth of lessons that incorporate reading, listening, sharing thoughts, watching, and positive self affirmations.  There is also an "at home" piece that has five minute activities that correspond with what is being taught in the daily lessons.  The curriculum is aligned with the Common Core Standards and educational consultation with Dr. Sally Caruthers Ed. D.  

I reviewed Affie of the Week:  I Am a Good Listener

I loved that the Monday lesson started out with reading a book and then teaching children what a good listener looks like,  along with giving themselves a positive affirmation in the mirror.   One of the other activities I liked was the "Listening Walk"  this allows children to focus on what is around them and then share with others what they observed.   A fable is shared with the children and then the children are given an opportunity to tell their own stories related to being a good listener.

I am a huge fan of any program that finds a way to link children's literature (in this program-fables) to learning a lesson or relating the moral to their own experiences.  I also love that the activities are varied and play to the three modes of learning, visual, auditory and kinetic.   These songs are pleasantly appealing and convey the lesson message clearly.

Character is something that needs to be taught, and positive self affirmation requires practice- Affies4Kids delivers both in a fun literature based program.