SMART BOOKS LIKE US

Windows to the world. Mirrors for the children who read them.

 

Why does SMART choose these books? 

• Prices matter to us. To provide ACCESS for all learners, we give every child a copy of the book to keep. To make books affordable for children in all income levels, we purchase in bulk to keep prices low. 

• CHILD NUTRITION connections in books can encourage healthy eating of fruits and vegetables, reduce childhood obesity and fight diabetes. SMART chooses books that encourage movement and healthy options.

• Hands-on learning experiences are active. We give every child a copy of the book, so that reading itself is a hands-on experience. ACTIVE learning leads to BUILDING BETTER BRAINS.

• INCLUSION matters, so we choose books because they engage both reluctant readers and enthusiastic readers.  We differentiate lessons with a focus on vocabulary, so we look for books that contain high-frequency words, exceptional vocabulary, repetitive phrases, and melodic language. 

• REPRESENTATION matters, so we choose books because they represent everyone in our community and world. Books are both windows and mirrors. 

• We choose books in different genres, some nonfiction with photos, and some with well-told narratives. We like books with language about emotions and stories that inspire conversation. We encourage reading with EMOTION and EXPRESSION.

• To foster RESILIENCE, we choose books to help children understand that we adapt to normal changes, such as daily fluctuations in the weather, and also extreme changes, such as hurricanes and freezing temperatures.  

• We choose books with topics in science, math, art, reading, and technology (SMART) so there is something to pique a variety of integrated interests.