S.M.A.R.T. is an original instructional approach used by the S.M.A.R.T. Family Literacy Project.

S.M.A.R.T. was created by Elizabeth Turner in 1999 to help her son, Andrew, who had lost interest in reading. S.M.A.R.T. Parties turned reading into a fun social experience. Andrew, who has Down’s syndrome, invited many friends and their families to the S.M.A.R.T. Parties and his love of reading was renewed. The love of reading was also contagious and the parties grew bigger and bigger!

Since the S.M.A.R.T. Family Literacy Project began outreach activities in 2004, thousands of children and their families have enjoyed reading the books given to them through the hands of caring S.M.A.R.T. Volunteers. The project has friends in Texas, El Salvador, South Africa and India. Andrew, now an adult, is an active volunteer with the project and has personally read to children and given hundreds of books.

At S.M.A.R.T. Parties and other S.M.A.R.T. Family Literacy events, children and their parents have fun reading with other people. They engage in hands-on science and math activities and read aloud with karaoke microphones. (SCIENCE, MATH AND READERS’ THEATRE = S.M.A.R.T.) Stories come alive as the families act out the dialogue while using simple props. Children who read stories at S.M.A.R.T. events have so much fun they want to read the stories again and again.

Donations are tax deductible Your gift will purchase books and train volunteers through the S.M.A.R.T. Family Literacy Project. The S.M.A.R.T. Family Literacy Project is provided by Developmental Momentum, Inc., a tax exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization.