An evaluation of the Zippy's Friends emotional wellbeing programme for primary schools in Ireland.

Abstract

This report presents the main findings on the evaluation of the Zippy's Friends emotional wellbeing programme in Irish primary schools. The Zippy's Friends programme is designed to promote the emotional wellbeing of children aged five to eight years of age by increasing their repertoire of coping skills and by stimulating varied and flexible ways of coping with problems of day-to-day life. The programme is based around a set of six illustrated stories about a group of children, their families, friends and an imaginary stick insect called Zippy. Comprised of six modules, the programme addresses the following themes: feelings, communication, making and breaking relationships, conflict resolution, dealing with change and loss, and general coping skills. Structured into sessions, the programme is supported by a teacher's manual and an attractive set of teaching materials, which are designed to actively engage the children in a range of child-centered activities. Teachers participate in a structured training programme before implementing the programme in class.