Applying Positive Psychology in Early Childhood.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a framework for applying positive psychology in elementary classrooms. The target age group is children in grades K-3 (ages 5 to 8) because this age group can benefit the most from an early introduction to strategies that promote positive development (Cowne & Hightower, 1989; White, 1996). The following sections will: (a) introduce constructs of positive psychology; (b) present developmental data on how these constructs can be applied to children ages 5 to 8 years; (c) present ideas for incorporating positive psychology practice into K-3 classrooms; (d) present strategies for incorporating positive psychology with multicultural considerations; and (e) present ideas on how to implement strategies based on positive psychology that are compatible with grade level standards and sociopolitical teaching expectations.