The Smithsonian "Talk With Me Toolkits" are online resources designed to encourage parent-child interactions and early childhood development. They resulted from a partnership between the Smithsonian, Penn State University, and Family Place Libraries. The Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology played a central role in developing the toolkits, hosted on their Smithsonian Learning Lab platform. The Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy (Penn State University) partnered with the Smithsonian, contributing expertise in family literacy and early childhood development. Family Place Libraries provided input and tested the toolkits in real-world settings. They combined expertise in educational technology, family literacy, and library science to create resources for early childhood development. They were create to support:
Conversation Promotion: They provide materials and prompts to encourage conversations between parents, caregivers, and young children.
Development Enhancement: They aim to improve children's critical thinking, vocabulary, and language development through interactions.
Smithsonian Resource Utilization: The toolkits use the Smithsonian's digital collections, such as videos, photographs, and artwork, to create learning experiences.
Thematic Organization: Each toolkit is organized around a specific theme, such as "Air and Space: Can It Fly?", "Art: Color Shapes and Lines," or "Nature: Who Lives in the Soil?".
High-Quality Materials: They feature authentic, high-quality materials from the Smithsonian's collections, providing a rich learning experience.
Conversation Prompts: Each toolkit includes questions and prompts designed to facilitate discussions between parents and children.
Hands-on Activities: They incorporate fun, hands-on activities to further the learning experience and interaction.
Book Recommendations: Each toolkit also suggests books that relate to the theme and can be read together.
Organization: Smithsonian Institution
Audiences: Parents and caregivers, early childhood educators, and children
Roles: Smithsonian project manager, grant writer
View Talk with Me Toolkits Project →
