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THE S.M.A.R.T. FAMILY LITERACY PROJECT
The S.M.A.R.T. FAMILY LITERACY PROJECT in Galveston recruits and trains volunteers who read with children and families in schools, shelters and at community-wide literacy fairs. The project purchases new books for volunteers to give to the children involved in the project. The most popular format for the project is the S.M.A.R.T. Party, at which children and parents read stories aloud to each other using karaoke microphones and simple props. Hands-on science and math activities are combined with classic party touches like balloons and bubbles to create a fun and motivating approach to the serious problem of illiteracy. Parents, teens and other S.M.A.R.T. Volunteers involved with the literacy program learn how to read effectively with children and families as part of the project.
WHAT IS S.M.A.R.T.?
SCIENCE, MATH, AND READERS’ THEATRE = S.M.A.R.T.
S.M.A.R.T. includes hands-on science, hands-on math, and reading aloud in an informal, social setting. It is an interdisciplinary inquiry-based instructional approach, effective for intergenerational groups.
THE S.M.A.R.T. FAMILY LITERACY PROJECT
Eliminate illiteracy, one reader at a time, one family at a time.
S.M.A.R.T. ACCOMPLISHMENTS – THOUSANDS OF BOOKS GIVEN!
HOW DOES THE S.M.A.R.T. FAMILY LITERACY PROJECT FIGHT ILLITERACY?
- By raising funds, buying books, and giving the books to children
- By providing access to high quality books that enhance education in science, mathematics, and the arts
- By providing professional development for daycare providers
- By providing Tips for Reading Effectively with Children (for parents, volunteers, and others who are not trained as teachers)
- By providing S.M.A.R.T. Parties, which are educational family parties, and by teaching others to present interdisciplinary programs with the S.M.A.R.T. approach
- By collaborating with other nonprofit organizations
- By providing the S.M.A.R.T. Literacy Garden Curriculum
- By increasing awareness of literacy and related issues through presentations to community organizations
AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST...
S.M.A.R.T. Volunteers visit pre-K and elementary classrooms to read aloud to the children, using a technique in which all the children hold a copy of the same book and participate in reading aloud together.
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS S.M.A.R.T. ACTIVE?
S.M.A.R.T. is most active in:
- Galveston, Texas
- Santa Tecla, El Salvador at the Centro Escuela Margarita Duran.
Between 2004 and 2007, S.M.A.R.T. developed friendships with schools in South Africa and India and invited their students to participate in our S.M.A.R.T. Art Contests.
To see the art from all our S.M.A.R.T. friends, click here.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE S.M.A.R.T. FAMILY LITERACY PROJECT?
The S.M.A.R.T. FAMILY LITERACY PROJECT began as a grass roots program in Galveston, Texas circa 1999. Between 2004 and 2009, S.M.A.R.T. volunteers raised more than $102,000 for literacy and gave thousands of books to needy children and their families. S.M.A.R.T. volunteers trained hundreds of volunteers, teens, and parents to read in a fun and effective way with children. S.M.A.R.T. Volunteers encouraged children to read by visiting their schools and by presenting literacy fairs in the community.
The activities of the literacy project were made possible by the generosity of our donors and partners. Click here to learn more.
WHAT ARE S.M.A.R.T. PARTIES?
S.M.A.R.T. Parties are fun and educational family literacy parties. At S.M.A.R.T. Parties, children and parents read stories aloud to each other using karaoke microphones and simple props. Hands-on science and math activities are combined with classic party touches like balloons, bubbles, and gift-wrapped boxes to create a fun and motivating approach to the serious problem of illiteracy. S.M.A.R.T. Parties are adaptable for classrooms, informal education programs, or family gatherings.
DID HURRICANE IKE CHANGE THE S.M.A.R.T. PROJECT IN GALVESTON?
The S.M.A.R.T. Family Literacy Project is based in Galveston, Texas. On September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike struck Galveston, Texas and damaged many homes. Although the public library and some school libraries lost their collections of children’s books to flood waters, the storage facility of the S.M.A.R.T. Family Literacy Project was undamaged, and S.M.A.R.T. continued to provide books to the children of Galveston during the aftermath. This was made possible by collaboration with the Rosenberg Library Children’s Department.
WHAT IS A S.M.A.R.T. LITERACY GARDEN?
S.M.A.R.T. Volunteers have built three literacy gardens in Galveston, Texas.
The S.M.A.R.T. Literacy Project has developed a curriculum, including a list of favorite children’s books to read in conjunction with gardening topics. To see a list of our favorite S.M.A.R.T. books, click here.
Because gardening is an affordable educational activity with connections to many curriculum essentials, it is a popular idea with teachers. Volunteers visit classrooms and read picture books to children. In this case, the books are selected because of their connection to the vegetables, herbs, flowers, health, and nutrition. Children like literacy gardens because they are fun. In the gardens, children can dig in the soil, plant seeds and seedlings, observe colors, textures and shapes through their senses, measure distances in the garden, measure time, observe earthworms, ladybugs, snails, and other spontaneous visitors to the garden.
To view photos from the S.M.A.R.T. Literacy Gardens in Galveston, click here.
S.M.A.R.T. LITERACY IN EL SALVADOR
S.M.A.R.T. works to help the children of the Centro Escuela Margarita Duran in Santa Tecla, El Salvador. At the Margarita Duran, more than 560 girls attend school for one-half day. Many of them work the other half of the day. They have no library and very few books, so it is difficult to learn how to read. In 2009, S.M.A.R.T. provided the school with two wooden library carts and is working to fill them both with books.
PHOTOS! To see photos from S.M.A.R.T. El Salvador, click here.
CASH DONATION!
To make a donation towards the purchase of books for the Margarita Duran School, make the check payable to: Developmental Momentum, Inc.
MAIL THE CHECK TO:
- Developmental Momentum, Inc.
- Margarita Duran Fund
- P.O. Box 2445
- Galveston, TX 77553
DONATION OF SPANISH BOOKS! In Galveston, Projecto S.M.A.R.T. is collecting children’s books in Spanish for the Margarita Duran library carts. New or gently used books are welcome. For more information about how to donate these books, e-mail papergiant@smartfamilyliteracy.org.
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