April/May 2008

S.M.A.R.T. For Two Year Olds? No Way!!

Some teachers are taking parts of the S.M.A.R.T. elementary program and implementing those components with three and four year olds while the S.M.A.R.T. Early Childhood program is under construction.

But, did you know that we have a classroom of two year olds doing the S.M.A.R.T. Program at Torah Academy in St. Louis Park, MN? It is the only two-year old S.M.A.R.T. class in the country that we know about (and most likely, the world). You might ask, "How in the world does anyone get two year olds to walk heel-toe, spin in one spot, or do reflex exercises?" Karen Burton is the director of Torah Tots (for ages 2-5) and teaches the two-year old group. Read about what it's like to incorporate S.M.A.R.T. into a toddler's day - a unique and fun experience!

Karen, what made you decide to try this with the two-year old group, in addition to your 3 year old and the 4-5 year old groups?

After taking the S.M.A.R.T. training program at the MLRC, I became so excited and thought there was no reason why I could not do this with my 2 and 3 year olds.

What are/were some of the more difficult and challenging aspects of implementing this with two year olds?

Really, I did not have any difficulties or many challenging aspects of implementing the S.M.A.R.T. program with my two year olds other than modifications with some of the CORE activities.

What kinds of adaptations did you have to make in order for the two year olds to be successful with the activities?

• One example is the low Balance Beam. I let the children gradually go from walking with one foot on and one foot off, to stepping sideways, to balancing, or walking correctly.
• On the Overhead Ladder, they work on hanging, as they are not strong enough to go from bar to bar.
• For spinning, after each spin we do a different movement to the music (e.g., jumps, claps, etc.), rather than have them do one spin after the other – much easier and age appropriate.
• With the Pencil Roll and Alligator Crawl, I was very patient, like not having them roll in a straight line to begin with.
• Also being consistent is very important, especially with this age level. We do the activities daily and do the same routine – the order of activities is always the same and they know exactly what’s coming next.
• I take small groups (7 at a time). The other children do many fine motor activities in the classroom while half are in the S.M.A.R.T. room doing the CORE floor activities, spinning, and reflex exercises.

What results or differences from previous years do you see in the children after 6-7 months of doing S.M.A.R.T.?

We have been doing S.M.A.R.T. consistently since October 24th, every day, and I see huge advances with all the children. We do our S.M.A.R.T. activities in the morning at 9:30 when our children are at their best. Both in fine and large motor skills they have advanced. Their skills are much better than the children I have had in previous year. I also see the children getting much stronger from working on the reflex activities. Those who had difficulties with any activity at first have all risen to the challenge and are now competent and confident in all activities. It has also improved their attention spans.

What activity or activities did the children seem to enjoy the most?

The children enjoy all the activities, especially the Alligator Crawl. They all go at the same time and it becomes a race. The kids LOVE the S.M.A.R.T. room.

What have you learned that will lead to changes when you start with a new group of toddlers in the fall?

When my new group starts in the fall, I will be even more eager and excited to get started and I know the 3-year old teacher will enjoy my kids from this year and how well they are doing with S.M.A.R.T. I will definitely get started doing the S.M.A.R.T. program right away in the fall, as I feel so much more comfortable. I’d also like to get a rebounder and incorporate it into our S.M.A.R.T. room.

Sooooo, it turns out that it is possible for those little ones to get S.M.A.R.T. Watch for more S.M.A.R.T. EC model details and Curriculum Guide to be released next year!