**I was given the Simply Smart Kids ® program to review.  All thoughts and comments are my own.**
As a former teacher, early education and learning is very important to me (as I am sure it is to many parents).  I am always trying to find ways to help my kids learn.  In my early childhood education classes I remember learning the importance of talking with (not to) your child.  The more rich language a child hears before entering school the more likely it is they will be successful. Unfortunately, although I know this, my skills in how to implement that rich language were a bit… rusty, shall we say.  The classes I took were a a few years ago, and since I taught first grade I never really had many chances to practice.  What’s a mom (or dad, or grandparent) to do?  How can we help our children by how we speak to them?  That is where Simply Smart Kids ® comes in.
Simply Smart Kids ® is a program that was created by a group of educators with parents in mind.  The goal?  To help teach parents how to “teach” kids.  Now, before I go on.  I know what you are thinking…
“Danielle are you crazy? Â I’m a busy parent, I don’t have time to sit down and learn this!”
“But Danielle, I’m not a teacher….”
“We’re so busy all the time. Â I don’t know if I can add something else to our plates.”
O.K.  So I’m going to stop you there.  I get it, trust me.  Here’s the thing.  You can do it!  This program was made with busy parents in mind.  The creators knew most parents wouldn’t have the time to sit for hours at a time and learn it.  And, the techniques you do learn, aren’t meant to be done at separate time.  You use the techniques throughout your day.  You integrate them into your everyday life.
So how does it all work?
The program is centered around strategies that are called the START! P.O.W.E.R. Tools™.
Playing with Sounds
Observe and Comment
Words and Meanings
Expand and Enhance
Raising Questions
You learn about each strategy by watching a short (I’m talking 15 minutes top) video that tells you about the strategy then shows you many examples of how to use it in your everyday life. After learning about one strategy, you practice it for a week. Then after a week you move on to the next strategy. The strategy is different for each age group (0-1, 2-3, 4-5) so you can see how you build on them as your child ages.
Once again, this isn’t about adding more to your day. Rather, it’s how to incorporate the skills in your everyday life to enhance their learning.
For example, we recently took a trip to the library. Â While Annabelle was playing in the play area, Autumn and I sat “doing a puzzle”.
Now, I could have just sat there and let her play with the pieces, our I could incorporate the tools I learned through the Simply Smart Kids program. Â So, when Autumn picked up the duck, I said:
“Yes! Â You have a duck! Â Quack, quack! Â The ducky says quack. Â It’s a yellow duck. Â Quack! Quack!”
Then as she touched the duck (it was fuzzy):
“Are you petting the duck? Â It’s soft. Â Such a soft yellow duck. Â Quack! Quack!”
See? Seriously it is so easy to implement these strategies, and as you do it more and more, it just becomes second nature.
So what are you waiting for?  Head over to Simply Smart Kids ® and check it out!