Education of the Heart: Raising Emotionally Strong Children

The other half of the method

Ask most people what Shichida is known for and they will say memory and flashcards. Ask a Shichida instructor what matters most and you will get a different answer: Education of the Heart.

What Professor Shichida meant

His conviction was that cognitive ability without emotional grounding is not an achievement worth pursuing. A child who can memorise a hundred images but cannot manage disappointment, or who learns to see other children as competition, has not been well served.

How it appears in class

• Affirmation. Simple, sincere statements of love and belief, spoken by you to your child.
• Gratitude. Naming one good thing at the close of each session.
• Physical warmth. The hugging exercise is a fixed part of the hour, not an optional flourish.
• Unconditional praise. Effort is celebrated regardless of outcome, so no child learns to fear a wrong answer.

Why it works

A child who feels securely loved takes more risks, recovers faster from failure and treats other children more generously. Those are precisely the conditions under which learning accelerates — so the emotional work is not separate from the cognitive work. It is what makes it possible.

At home tonight

Try the five-minute bedtime version: hold your child, tell them plainly that you love them and that they are capable, and name one thing they did today that you admired. That is the whole exercise.

Curious to see it for yourself? The easiest way to understand a Shichida class is to sit in one. Message our team on WhatsApp to book a trial class and we will help you choose the right stage for your child.

Sources & Further Reading

For readers who would like to explore the wider science of early years cognitive development, the following authoritative organisations offer trusted further reading:

1. Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Brain Architecture & Early Childhood Development.
2. World Health Organization. Improving Early Childhood Development: WHO Guideline.
3. UK Department for Education. Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.
4. NHS. Children’s Development & Early Learning.