smART sketcher® combines the fun of art, the enticement of technology, and essential learning skills in innovative and impactful ways. Activities are based on academic research, national curriculum standards, age-appropriate skill sets, and real kid testing. A balance of online and offline activities makes each themed activity pack a unique way to engage kids of all ages as well as a way for parents and educators to work and play together.
Creativity Packs:
We’ve all seen the smile on the face of a child making art. Every kid loves to create a masterpiece, be it on paper, on a chalkboard, or even in the sand! But the benefits–as well as the joy–of art in education are becoming increasingly recognized. The importance of STEM skills–science, technology, engineering, and math–hallmarks of 21st century education, have evolved into STEAM skills, adding Art into the equation. The inclusion of the arts makes STEM subjects more fun to learn, and more accessible to different types of learners.
A growing body of research, including reports by the Arts Education Partnership and the Dana Foundation, present compelling evidence that art promotes basic academic and social skills that every child needs.
Skills Taught:
- Fine Motor Skills: Holding a crayon, tracing a fine line, and coloring with a marker nurture fine motor skills in small hands and promote the dexterity needed for beginning, as well as advanced, writing.
- Language Development: Talking about art creates opportunities to learn words for colors, shapes and the types of lines and designs drawn. Pictures can be starting points for telling stories and describing actions.
- Creativity: Choosing a color, a drawing tool, a character, or telling a story gives kids the chance to make fail-safe decisions and experiment with new ideas.
- Digital Learning: Integrating a smart phone or tablet into kids’ activities often engages them through play, enabling them to absorb new information in new ways. It also empowers them to move seamlessly between online and offline worlds.
Learn-A-Language Packs:
Kids learn and play differently at every age. Learn-A-Language Packs are based on national curriculum standards, designed to complement classroom lessons and age-appropriate skills in engaging ways. Each pack begins with step-by-step letter-writing skill builders. For ages 5 through 8, these consist of upper and lowercase ABCs. For ages 9+, the alphabet is presented in cursive script. The second part of each Learn-A-Language Pack contains semantically appropriate words and activities. Many of the words appear in the national reading vocabulary lists. The activities are in line with the prescriptions as outlined by the Common Core Standards for Reading Foundational Skills.
Ages 5-6 (Grades K-1) Scope: 50 words
Grade K (age 5) 25 words
The first 25 words in this range are target words for Grade K curriculum. Features of grade appropriate words at this level include one-to-one letter-sound correspondence, and long and short vowel sounds. Additionally, these words fall into Biemiller Level E category, deeming them appropriate for Grade K consumption and interaction. (The Biemiller classification is a tool that helps educators and parents know which words students of a certain age and grade level are most likely to encounter and be familiarized with during a given academic year.) Many of these words also appear in the national reading vocabulary list for Grade K, making it a semantically appropriate word choice for the 5-year old reader. Moreover, the tasks prescribed for the Grade K student are in line with the prescriptions as outlined by the Common Core Standards for Reading Foundational Skills, which dictate that students at Grade K should be engaging in the following skills, which fall under the strand’s Phonological Awareness and Word Recognition expectations, as well as the Production and Distribution of Writing goals:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.C
Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.D
Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in three-phoneme (consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC) words.1 (This does not include CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.E
Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, one-syllable words to make new words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.A
Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3.B
Associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.6
With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
Grade 1 (age 6) 25 words
The second 25 words in this range are target words for Grade 1 curriculum. Features of grade appropriate words at this level include common consonant digraphs (e.g., ch, kn, ph, sh, th, wh, wr), regularly spelled one-syllable words (final –e), consonant blends (e.g.,initial- bl, br, cl, cr, dr, fl, fr, gl, gr, pl, pr, sc, sk, sl, sm, sn, sp, st, sw, tr, tw; final ft, ld, lk, lp, lt, mp, ms, ns, nd, nk, nt, sk, st, ls); common vowel teams for long vowels (e.g., ai, ea, ee, igh, oa, oo, ow), r and l controlled vowels (e.g., al, ar, er, ir, ol, or, ur), and grade appropriate irregularly spelled words. Additionally, these words fall into Biemiller Level E and T2 categories, deeming them appropriate for Grade 1 consumption and interaction. Some of these words also appear in the national reading vocabulary list for Grade 1, making it a semantically appropriate word choice for the 6-year old reader. Moreover, the tasks prescribed for the Grade 1 student are in line with the prescriptions as outlined by the Common Core Standards for Reading Foundational Skills, which dictate that students at Grade 1 should be engaging in the following skills, which fall under the strand’s Phonological Awareness and Word Recognition expectations, as well as the Production and Distribution of Writing goals:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.2.A
Distinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.2.B
Orally produce single-syllable words by blending sounds (phonemes), including consonant blends.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.2.C
Isolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.A
Know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.B
Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.C
Know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.6
With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
Ages 7-8 (Grades 2-3) SCOPE: 50 words
Grade 2 (age 7) 25 words
The first 25 words in this range are target words for Grade 2 curriculum. Features of grade appropriate words at this level include compound words, possessives trigraphs (e.g., spl, str, scr), hard/soft c & g, long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words, additional common vowel teams ( e.g., au, aw, ue, ew, ey, ou, oy); regularly spelled 2 syllable words with long vowels, inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences, grade appropriate irregularly spelled words. Additionally, these words fall into Biemiller Level T2 category, deeming them appropriate for Grade 2 consumption and interaction. Moreover, the tasks prescribed for the Grade 2 student are in line with the prescriptions as outlined by the Common Core Standards for Reading Foundational Skills, which dictate that students at Grade 2 should be engaging in the following skills which fall under the strand’s Phonics and Word Recognition expectations, as well as the Production and Distribution of Writing goals:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.A
Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.B
Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.C
Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.E
Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.F
Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.6
With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
Grade 3 (age 8) 25 words
The next 25 words in this range are target words for Grade 3 curriculum. Features of grade appropriate words at this level include multi-syllable words, syllable types such as closed, silent-e, open, vowel team, consonant-le, vowel-r, and grade appropriate irregularly spelled words. Additionally, many of these words appear in the national reading vocabulary list for this Grade 3, deeming them academically appropriate for consumption and interaction by the 8-year old reader. Moreover, the tasks prescribed for the Grade 3 student are in line with the prescriptions as outlined by the Common Core Standards for Reading Foundational Skills, which dictate that students at Grade 3 should be engaging in the following skills, which fall under the strand’s Phonics, Word Recognition, and Fluency expectations, as well as the Production and Distribution of Writing goals:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.3.3.C
Decode multisyllable words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.3.3.D
Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.3.4
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.3.4.C
Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.4
With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.
Ages 9+ (Grades 4+) SCOPE: Cursive writing
This pack features learn-to-write activities for cursive writing using upper and lower case letters. Once writers master letter formations, word and spelling activities encourage them to practice their skills.