The motto "Fun with a Purpose®" appeared on the cover of the first issue of Highlights and continues to appear on current covers. The motto underscores the major intentions of the publication's founders: to entertain children while providing them with a variety of good writing and illustrations that encourages learning.
The Highlights Creed, created early in the history of the magazine, is printed on the masthead of each issue of Highlights for Children: "This book of wholesome fun is dedicated to helping children grow in basic skills and knowledge, in creativeness, in ability to think and reason, in sensitivity to others, in high ideals, and worthy ways of living—for children are the world's most important people."
The founders believed that children's best interests were served by dedicating all 42 pages of the magazine to editorial content and this belief still guides today's editors.
As a comfortable place for a child to relax and enjoy their reading and thinking adventures, there is no advertising within the pages of the magazine.
Highlights is written, illustrated and edited with a high expectation of its readers. The editors contend that children of young ages can absorb information and reason about it, drawing valid conclusions far more thoroughly, profoundly and successfully than many experts have thought. Younger children also delight in having stories and features read to them by older siblings or parents even when the material might be thought a little over their heads.
Highlights founders believed strongly that children are led and encouraged to do well by positive suggestion. There are regular features that pose problems and ask questions to which there are many acceptable answers, not merely one correct answer. The goal is not to compete and win but to succeed in reasoning self-confidently.
Highlights stories and articles do not teach or preach, but embody time-tested values of fairness, honesty and regard for others. While Highlights is nonsectarian, it reflects spiritual values, the acceptance of religious beliefs, and friendship among the races of humankind. Sportsmanship, health, safety and good manners are frequent themes. Highlights does not focus on or emphasize violence. The founders intended that, while not moralizing—something youngsters are quick to spot and reject—Highlights would inevitably deposit what they termed a "moral residue" of admiration for worthy role models and an ambition to be like them.
