A SMART Start for Academic Success
On Demand Parent Training
Six self-paced video modules & resources to help you confidently teach your child (ages 3-8) SMART Start skills—foundational critical-thinking skills to unlock their gifted & academic potential
Finding the right path for your child is never easy.
There’s a lot at stake when it comes to your child’s education. You want to set them up for academic success while they’re young, and you want to play an active role in that success.
But it can be hard to know where to start, especially when time is at a premium. You:
- Only have so many hours in the day, and it feels like there’s so much for your child to learn.
- Don’t know how to measure your child’s progress or adjust course when they struggle.
- Aren’t sure how to engage your bright but bored child, so they’re prepared for high stakes testing.
- Want to encourage your young learner to tackle any academic challenge with confidence.
There’s too much to do...
you’re going crazy trying to keep up.
- Burning yourself out trying to fit in enrichment to supplement a remote learning schedule.
- Having no energy left to figure out how to engage your child beyond busywork and mindless video games.
- Fearing your child might be set back with learning loss due to school closures.
It’s Just So Exhausting...
The constant feeling of overwhelm is beginning to take its toll.
What if there were a quick, easy (and fun!) way to maximize your child’s academic potential?
- What if you could create that academic foundation for your child without needing to find extra hours in the day?
- What if you learned to provide meaningful academic lessons that kept your learners engaged and ahead of the class?
- What if you kept your child learning during school closures with low-prep, easy to implement strategies and activities?
- What if you had a solid system for teaching your child critical thinking?
- What if you could discover new tips and tricks that made learning more enjoyable for your child?
What if you could do all this …
and still get your own work done?
YOU CAN !!!
The most successful learners have engaged parents at their side from an early age, helping them build a strong academic foundation at home. With the right training, you can work with your child, helping them to:
- Develop self-confidence when confronted with new, unfamiliar concepts.
- Conquer test anxiety and fear around high-stakes exams and placements.
- Maximize their gifted and talented potential, learning to leverage their natural strengths.
- View mistakes as opportunities for growth, rather than failures.
It all comes down to helping your child harness the power of SMART SKILLS.
Every topic, lesson, and test your child faces in their academic career is rooted in SMART skills
SMART skills help children question like scientists, build like engineers, create like artists, design like technologists, deduce like mathematicians, and play like kids!
Once you help your child understand these five key areas, they’ll be ready to tackle anything — and that’s what SMART Start is all about.
Support your child through SMART Start —
a self-paced video course designed with busy parents in mind.
As a parent, you’re in the perfect position to help your child develop a lifelong love of learning. SMART Start trains parents on a proven methodology, developed by Lemi-Ola Erinkitola, the award winning educator and founder of The Critical Thinking Child. These strategies have helped hundreds of young learners improve their critical thinking skills and qualify for selective enrollment programs.
With SMART Start you’ll:
- Uncover an innovative, skills-focused roadmap for teaching your child the critical thinking skills that are typically overlooked in the traditional classroom.
- Discover fun tools and “how to” strategies that you can implement quickly and easily, so your child can develop good thinking habits.
- Guide your learner to more confidence, while helping them hone the foundational skills they need to succeed at learning.
- Work with your child to nurture and hone SMART Skills in just a few minutes a day, so they’re prepared for academic success.
- There’s no need for long lectures, agonizing study sessions, or hours of rote memorization. The principles of SMART Start are easy to understand and fun to implement.
What educators are saying...
"I've seen my daughter’s ability to think abstractly skyrocket. She can take disparate thoughts and put together a whole new way of looking at the world. She is also more intellectually curious, always asking why questions and trying to find out more."
Kelly Richmond Pope, Filmmaker & Educator, Depaul University
"As a master’s level professor at University of Chicago, I have very high expectations for teaching and I can say that Critical Thinking Child has exceeded my expectations in every way. I can’t say enough good things about Lemi Erinkitola and Critical Thinking Child."
Jason Blumberg, CEO & Managing Director, Energy Foundry & Educator, University of Chicago
A proven, tested system for academic success
This self-paced video course was developed from a selection of pre-recorded training sessions featuring real parents working with their young learners. It takes the best of our live Critical Thinking Child bootcamp series and brings it right to your device, so you can take your child’s learning experience to another level.
When you join SMART Start you’ll receive immediate access to:
- Six video modules that guide you through the exact strategies you need to empower your child to succeed academically.
- Live, monthly calls with the founder of The Critical Thinking Child, where we can discuss your questions and challenges.
- Research-based prerequisite lessons that dive deep into the importance of critical thinking, how to encourage “good thinking”, and developing a plan for avoiding the biggest pitfalls — so you can hit the ground running.
- Hands-on (Brains-on) activities and templates that you can work on with your child, guiding them as they put SMART Skills into practice.
- Official parent checklists used by 100s of families to prepare their child for gifted and talented testing.
- Sample assessment tools, so you can help your child prepare for high-stakes tests.
- Library Vault of articles and resources designed to help you get unstuck and navigate the trickiest parts of teaching your child.
- A private Facebook community, where you can ask questions and receive additional support. Get educational tips to keep your child engaged.
Each module of SMART Start is carefully crafted to show parents how to remain active participants in their child’s educational journey.
Here’s what you’ll learn in each module …
2 -Prerequisite Lessons
What Every Parent Needs to Know About Critical Thinking
- Learn what critical thinking skills are and how they help your child gain confidence and motivation.
- Identify and avoid the biggest pitfalls to “good thinking”, so you can set your child up for success.ncover the academic blueprint that has helped countless students prepare for kindergarten through elementary school and stay ahead academically.
- Prepare your child to be a better communicator, stronger thinker, and a lifelong lover of learning.
…
6 Quick Training Videos
Introduction to the SMART TAP Method™
- Uncover the academic blueprint that has helped countless students prepare for kindergarten through elementary school and stay ahead academically.
- Prepare your child to be a better communicator, stronger thinker, and a lifelong lover of learning.
Spatial Reasoning and Time Management
- Get organized and establish a routine, so your child looks forward to learning through the SMART Tap Method.
- Learn what spatial reasoning is, how it’s important, and simple, fast, and fun spatial activities to work on with your child.
Math Reasoning and Early Numeracy
- Unlock the secrets of teaching math to your child in a way that makes it intuitive and fun.
- Go beyond addition and subtraction and learn how to support math learning at home through critical numeracy skills that will help math make sense for a lifetime.
Math Reasoning II and Analogies
- Uncover the skills that will help your child see success before, during, and after high-stakes tests.
- Identify the deeper math skills and logical thinking skills that will expand your child’s vocabulary and help them succeed across subject areas.
Reading and Phonics
- Learn how to help your child read, comprehend, and connect stories to real-world experiences.
- Guide your child through exciting activities designed to help them read faster and understand more.
Thinking and Technology
- Help your child master the 4 Cs: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity
- Access apps, books and games that you can include in your daily routine — including test prep resources!
Here’s what tools you’ll get …
Assessments & Checklists
Pinpoint learning gaps and test prep strategies
Spatial Thinking Assessment
Math - Early Numeracy Assessment
Analogies - Assessment
Reading Phonics Assessment
Technology Quiz: Is Your Child Smartphone Savvy?
You'll also get...
BONUSES
Over 200+ Brain Boosting Activities
Super Fun Games and Printables
$129 Value
Introduction to the SMART TAP Method™
- Uncover the academic blueprint that has helped countless students prepare for kindergarten through elementary school and stay ahead academically.
- Prepare your child to be a better communicator, stronger thinker, and a lifelong lover of learning.
Spatial Reasoning and Time Management
- Get organized and establish a routine, so your child looks forward to learning through the SMART Tap Method.
- Learn what spatial reasoning is, how it’s important, and simple, fast, and fun spatial activities to work on with your child.
Math Reasoning and Early Numeracy
- Unlock the secrets of teaching math to your child in a way that makes it intuitive and fun.
- Go beyond addition and subtraction and learn how to teach your child foundational skills that will last a lifetime.
Math Reasoning II and Analogies
- Learn how to help your child read, comprehend, and connect stories to real-world experiences.
- Guide your child through exciting activities designed to help them read faster and understand more.
Cyber Safty Learning Mats
Get a head start on cyber safety while teaching your child something as familiar and essential as the alphabet.
- Help your child remember the sound that each letter makes in the context of modern technology.
- Easily create hands-on learning centers at home that encourage play while teaching important skills.
What parents are saying...
"My two children have had such a good time that I am not sure they realized they were learning. In addition, my husband and I received many ideas, tools and games to play with our kids at home to further enhance their development. I recommend The Critical Thinking Child to all of my friends, especially those who are navigating the selective enrollment process."
- Allison Latta and Family
"I have seen a marked improvement in how my 3.5-year-old daughter thinks, draws conclusions and articulates ideas. She is now learning the letter sounds and how to read. It has definitely made my life as a parent a little easier, knowing that my daughter is learning and learning right."
- Ruchi Sharma, STEM Professional
Get started today!
Choose the option that works for you
Join now, get access forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SMART Start a good fit for you?
SMART Start provides you with a peek behind the curtain of an award winning critical-thinking program for pre-K through 2nd grade kids. But is it right for you and your family? Here are some of the most common questions we get:
We've got A's for your Q's
Q: How can I manage the course with my busy schedule?
A: The 6 quick training modules within the course are short, to-the-point, and full of actionable takeaways. They’re designed specifically with your hectic schedule in mind and full of tips for creating a meaningful learning experience in just a few minutes a day.
Q: Is this a homeschool curriculum?
A: No. While SMART Start is designed to be completed at home, and you’ll learn tons of new ways to teach your child, it’s not meant to replace a formal homeschool curriculum. The content isn’t broken down into individual days — rather, it shows you how to approach teaching different foundational skills that show up in standard classroom and homeschool curriculum.
Q: Will SMART Start work if my child is not gifted?
A: Absolutely! These skills are fundamental to all levels, and all children can grow from them. In addition, every child benefits from quality learning time with their parents or guardians. SMART Start is a great way to incorporate this habit in the home.
Q: If this is based on your live critical thinking bootcamp, do I need to attend a live session, too?
A: SMART Start takes the best of our live bootcamp and brings it to you directly, so you don’t need to enroll in an in-person class. The exact same principles are taught, and you’ll have ample support.
Q: When can I get started?
A: Right away! You will get access to the Extraordinary Parent Academy Platform where the SMART Start course is housed. Assessments and Bonuses become available after June 2020.
Q: What if I get stuck?
A: When you enroll in SMART Start you’ll receive access to a private Facebook community as well as monthly Q&A calls, where you can bring your unique challenges and questions to the table.
Q: Does my location matter?
A: No! This is a self-paced online resource hub. Anyone with access to the internet and can use the platform and join the Facebook community. That said, we are excited to announce our plans to expand to other countries soon.
Q: Do I need any additional materials?
A: No, you’ll have access to ample tools and resources throughout the course. If you do want to go even deeper with your child, we have additional workbooks and assessments available for purchase.
Who am I and why should you believe me?
I’m an award-winning educator, parent coach, children's author and a total nerd when it comes to puzzles. My life work and passion is helping parents nurture their child's learning potential in an engaging and joyful way so kids can fast track learning, discover their gifts and reclaim family time.
“SMART Start trains parents in the formula I’ve used with every student I’ve had the divine privilege of teaching over the years.”
Lemi-Ola Erinkitola - Founder
The Critical Thinking Child
As featured in..
My methodology is known for giving parents the best possible way to challenge children to think while supporting their emotional needs.
Put your child on the path to academic success.
Students’ early school experiences shape their life-long learning…let’s work together to give them the best possible SMART start!