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What Is SMART-4-Kidz?
- SMART-4-Kidz is a fun place for a kid to have the chance to… just be a kid. It is a unique and spirited combination of movement and exercise inspired by dance and yoga, calming breath work, specific relaxation techniques, and storytelling. The SMART program fosters imagination, contribution, visualization, creativity, and promotes self-confidence.
- SMART offers the child a portable skill set to help him or her deal with many of the stressful issues of the day: Concerns about school performance from testing, class participation, homework, and peer pressure. Overbooked schedules, parent and family dynamics, response to dramatic current events; the list is endless. These daily, “normal” events effect the social, academic and emotional development of today’s kids.
Research shows that relatively little exposure to environmental stress can lead to poor school performance, lack of focus, maladaptive conduct, substance abuse, drop-out and other anti-social behaviors. SMART-4-Kidz offers children and adolescents a helping hand to reach their potentials and develop more beneficial and adaptive pro-social skills
By combining sound and tested principles from the sciences of education and psychology with contemporary and traditional stress management techniques, SMART prepares a child’s intellectual capacity to succeed academically while promoting healthy emotional development.
Our research has yielded real world evidence that SMART-4-Kidz is an effective method to reduce anxiety and improve one’s outlook. Qualitative reports of students, teachers and parents tell us participation yields positive results for the children and their schools. Children can become more productive students, contributors to their community, and feel more secure about their future.
PBS’ A Place of Our Own discussed the importance of creative expression as a socio-emotional tool to unlock the child’s greatest learning potential. From the program: “Different opportunities and unhurried time and space allow children to realize a deeper level of autonomous functioning and self-expression while connecting to the world around them. Pleasure and openness is derived when a child’s discoveries and contributions are supported and encouraged. Creative Arts include the body thru dance and movement, storytelling…anything allowing the inside to come out”…
SMART-4-Kidz was founded on these propositions which nurture development of the self and expression. Our class environment promotes self-expression and relies on interaction to develop each class; the kids know they are heard and that they matter.