Highway Heroes – Primary Years

In the primary years of education, children are growing up – and growing their relationships out into the world of friends – offline and online too. Teaching the skills to help a child to be socially, emotionally and cognitively resilient in these years is essential – and we’ve got the curriculum-based solution just for you.

A KidsMatter approved teaching resource, the Highway Heroes program speaks the language of kids and is used in classrooms in every state of Australia, through south-east Asia and in the UK too. Thousands and thousands of children and their families benefit from the life-lessons in the Highway Heroes curriculum – and yours can too!

Highway Heroes is a fun, practical, clinically proven methodology for teaching children SAFE social and emotional learning skills. Yes, Sequenced, Active, Focused and Explicit.

The Highway Heroes curriculum:

✓ Is perfect for those working in schools or therapy settings.
✓ Travels the Social Highway – Modules 1 (Bullying & Teasing) & Module 2 (Friends and Playground Resilience).
✓ Travels the Learning Highway – Module 3 (Growth Mindset, Staying-power & Grit).
✓ Travels the Emotional Highway – Module 4 (Feelings, Moods & Resilience).
✓ Provides a spiral curriculum with School Year 1-3 & School Year 4-6 versions of each Module.

Each Module includes:

✓  1 Introductory lesson and 5 core lessons – Each lasting 50 minutes.
✓  Lesson plans – Including lesson overviews with outcome statements.
✓  Lesson outlines – Detailed expansion (fully scripted) of the lesson plan and theoretical overview.
✓  Icebreaker activities – Ideal for unfamiliar groups of children.
✓  Parent information handouts.
✓  Home activities.
✓  Pitstop checklists (data collection) for leaders, parents and children to complete.
✓  Full colour leader resources.

The Highway Heroes curriculum teaches 33 essential TOOLS for self-management and building resilience at home, in the playground and in the classroom.

“We LOVE Highway Heroes. Our children use the language of the program – and even the parents have got on-board. If you’re over using programs that take hours to figure out and then don’t lead to much change – then it’s time to make the change. Brilliant, brilliant resource!” Maria, Year 4 Teacher, SA

Module 1 – Sticking Up 4 Me; Beating Bullying & Taming Teasing

Bullying and teasing is a reality in every playground everywhere that there are kids. Children in the upper primary school years are also playing in the Online Playground – often with limited supervision or support. In 5 easy to follow lessons, fully supported with goals, a theoretical overview and coloured teaching resources, this small group or whole class teaching resource targets: the differences between bullying and teasing; the different sorts of bullying – physical and psychological and the differences in teasing behaviours.
There is a practical methodology for the development of TOOLS to create choices for thinking and behaving as well as stepping up to beating bullying and taming teasing. (School Year 4-6 includes activities targeting Cyberbullying and introducing TOOLS to manage this environment safely.)

✓  Identifying Bullying
✓  The PIGS Bullying Choices
✓  Types of Bullying and Straight Talk (KS2 includes cyber-bullying)
✓  Taming Teasing
✓  The Triple A’s 4 Teasing

Module 2 – Connecting 4 Friendships; Playground Resilience & Wisdom

Teachers and parents all over the world know that friendship issues in the primary school years can become problematic and very focal for children. Children in the upper primary school years are often also playing in the Online Playground – often with limited supervision or support.

In 5 easy to follow lessons, fully supported with goals, a theoretical overview and coloured teaching resources, this small group or whole class teaching resource targets: friendliness skills; the realities and complexities of friends and friendships and strategies for putting Friendship Flare Ups out.

Included is a practical and proven methodology for the development of TOOLS unwrapping friendliness skills, decatastrophising friendship issues, and managing friendship flare ups. (School Year 4-6 includes activities targeting cyber-friendships and TOOLS to promote better ‘Nettiquette’ in this space.)

✓  Friends and The Friendliness SPICE
✓  The Friendliness SPICE
✓  The Triple A’s 4 Refusals to Play
✓  The Triple A’s 4 Friendship Flare Ups
✓  Assert with Straight Talk

Module 3 – Tricks 4 Getting Things Done; The Secrets of Staying-power and Grit

Small group or whole class teaching resource that teaches, supports, encourages and motivates positive learning attitudes and behaviours. Planning, organisation, goal setting supported by the qualities of persistence, grit, on-task behaviour and self-management skills promote a high level of Executive Functioning and learning to capability.

✓  Filling The CPR Learning Tank
✓  The Triple A’s 4 Getting Things Done
✓  The Triple A’s of Approach and Apply
✓  www.goalsetting.com
✓  Off -Track Thinking (Mistakes, comparison and perfectionism)

Module 4 – Strategies 4 Managing Me; Mood Management and Resilience

Small group or whole class teaching resource that identifies the contribution of emotional self-management and resilience to social, emotional and learning success. Development of emotional self-management TOOLS to assist calming down, emotional self-monitoring, bouncing back, avoiding over-excitability and emotional overwhelm.

✓  Feelings, Moods and The Emotional Highway
✓  Mood, Maps and Drivers
✓  Thinking About Your Thinking – The Thinking Traffic Lanes
✓  The Triple B’s 4 Calming Down
✓  Resilient Me on The Emotional Highway