Bright Ideas
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Author(s): Catherine Brandon and Everada Cunningham
Date of development: 1999
Website: www.ozchild.org.au
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Aim(s):
The Bright Ideas program teaches the skill of optimistic thinking. Optimistic thinking involves thinking about different situations and challenges in ways that allow individuals to cope in more positive and realistic ways.
Target group:
Bright Ideas is aimed at students in grades 4, 5 and 6.
Designed for, or demonstrated applicability to, special groups:
Research has shown that the Bright Ideas program is associated with positive outcomes for students in rural and regional areas.
Program content and components:
The four basic skills of optimistic thinking that are covered in the Bright Ideas program are:
- Listening to our self-talk
- Evaluating thoughts
- Generating alternatives
- Decatastrophising
PROGRAM EVALUATION
Identified theoretical framework:
Bright Ideas uses techniques drawn from cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) to teach children the skills of optimistic thinking. Having optimistic thinking skills essentially means that children are equipped to form adaptive views of stressful and challenging situations, such that they are able to respond to stressful situations in positive ways. In contrast, young people who think pessimistically find it more difficult to cope effectively with negative or challenging situations. Pessimistic thinkers tend to attribute causes of negative events to factors that are stable (e.g., this event will always affect me), global (e.g., this event affects all areas of my life), and internal (e.g., I’m to blame for this event because I’m dumb). Pessimistic or negative thinkers are more prone to school failure, low motivation, illness and depression, and frequently exhibit more problem behaviours. In his book, The Optimistic Child, Dr. Martin Seligman suggested that it is possible to reverse the escalating prevalence of depression by ‘inoculating’ ALL children with optimistic thinking skills by using the same therapeutic techniques that have been successful in working with children and adults who are depressed.
Evidence of effectiveness:
(according to criteria developed by CASEL for rating program effectiveness)
Multiple studies document positive behavioural outcomes at post-test.
References supplied by program authors:
Brandon, C. M., Cunningham, E. G., & Frydenberg, E. (1999). Bright Ideas: A school-based program teaching optimistic thinking skills in pre-adolescence. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 9, 153-163.
Cunningham, E. G., Brandon, C. M., & Frydenberg, E. (1999). Building resilience in early adolescence through a universal school-based preventative program. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 9, 15-24.
Cunningham, E. G., Brandon, C. M., & Frydenberg, E. (2002). Enhancing coping resources in early adolescence through a school based program teaching optimistic thinking skills. Anxiety, Stress and Coping. 15, 369-381.
Cunningham, E. G., & Frydenberg, E. (2000). Developing coping resources in early adolescence within the context of whole-school curriculum. Paper presented at the 35th Australian Psychological Society Annual Conference, Canberra: Australia.
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
Program structure:
The Bright Ideas program consists of eight weekly 60-90 minute sessions. When the program is conducted with smaller groups, one hour is usually sufficient time for each session. However, when the program is implemented with whole class groups, leaving one and a half hours per session is preferable as it ensures sufficient time to cover all the activities.
Outlines of the sessions from the program are:
- The connection between thought and feelings
• To understand that events or situations do not directly cause feelings
• To examine how feelings are connected to our thoughts (self-talk)
• To learn that we are in control of our thoughts and hence our feelings - Different self-talk leads to different feelings
• To look at how different thoughts lead to different feelings
• To foster an understanding of optimistic and pessimistic thoughts - Lasting and temporary thoughts
• To look at the difference between lasting and temporary thoughts - Checking your ideas
• To encourage students to consider their ideas and to evaluate them before accepting them or reacting to them - Why did this happen?
• To help students recognise that blaming themselves or others for negative events is often inappropriate and leads to negative feelings - Get real – stop thinking the worst
• To foster an awareness of catastrophising
• To teach students how to keep situations in perspective - Concept Review
- Review and Close
The Bright Ideas program is applicable to many situations: it is primarily designed for implementation by teachers to whole class groups, but it is also applicable for use by school psychologists and guidance officers with selected student groups (i.e. social and problem behaviours, children with hearing impairments, as well as within special education settings).
Staff professional learning (PL):
Teachers and school support staff who will be involved in conducting the Bright Ideas program are required to undergo training, and are offered on-going consultative support. Training involves a 3-hour intensive seminar, and costs $700 for a group of 15 people. It is also recommended that an evening Parent Seminar be conducted, which costs $300.
Program costs:
The materials required to implement this program include the following:
Participant Teacher’s Kit (Manual and CD) $60 plus GST
Student Workbook $10 plus GST
About the author(s):
Catherine Brandon (M.Ed Psych) is a psychologist who works in the field of education with teachers, welfare staff and students to promote resilience. In addition to ‘Bright Ideas’, she has co-authored articles on resilience and coping as well as ‘The Best Of Coping’ – a program to promote adolescent coping skills with Associate Professor Erica Frydenberg.
Dr. Everarda Cunningham is a former secondary school teacher who completed her PhD studies in adolescent coping at Melbourne University in 2002. She is currently manager of research and development at the Lilydale campus of Swinburne University of Technology in Victoria. Her research interests are centred on ways to support at-risk students in the school system. To this end her focus has been on building resiliency skills in all young people and, in particular, working towards improving outcomes for students with learning disabilities/dyslexia.
Contact information:
Oz Child Education and Outreach Services
150 Albert Road, South Melbourne, VIC. 3205
PO Box 1312, South Melbourne, VIC. 3205
Phone: (03) 9695 2200
Fax: 03) 9695 2200
Email: ozchild@ozchild.org.au
Website: www.ozchild.org.au
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It is important to note that inclusion of a program in this Guide does not constitute an endorsement by KidsMatter Primary. All program details were correct at time of publishing.
