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Dear So Smart! parents,
Below is our philosophy, answers to frequently asked
questions from parents, and guidelines on how to use
our products. This is not professional advise, as you
would get from a pediatrician, but rather our experience
and opinions regarding the field of children's educational
entertainment, as successful producers of children's
programming. Feel free to contact us if you have any
additional feedback, and thanks for being a So Smart!
customer.
All the best from
Scott Tornek and the So Smart! Team
  Our
Mission
Why
So Smart! is best for your child
How
we started
Why
is animation best?
Our
music
Our
artwork
A
different kind of fun
Making
claims
How
to use our programming
What
not to watch
The
future and So Smart!
Privacy Policy
Returns Policy
Our
Mission
Our mission is to inspire the minds and environments
of both children and their parents by creating standard-setting
products that enrich, stimulate and entertain!
Why
So Smart! is best for your child
Since So Smart! pioneered this category in 1997, a number
of other "developmental" video brands can
be found in the market, but as countless parents, educators
and professional organizations will attest, So Smart!
remains by far the top video series in its class. Compare
by watching other programs and the differences will
be obvious. Most focus on live-action segments of anything
from silly puppets to animals at the zoo. So Smart!
is the only series that uses, in concert, all original
artwork, fully animated programming, specially choreographed
and selected soundtracks, and early childhood developmental
expertise to produce original programming that progresses
deliberately and with sensitivity, at specific age and
stage levels, to introduce little ones to emotionally
and intellectually stimulating experiences that cannot
be found anywhere else!
Parenting Magazine in its
February, 2003 issue, gives a good summary of "Which
tapes and DVDs are right for your child?" In their
age-by-age guidance, here's what they say for the "Babies
and Toddlers" category:
Because they can't
quite grasp character and plot development yet, tiny
viewers are drawn to visual and aural delights broken
down into short segments that can hold their attention.
Opt for tapes with bold graphics in primary colors
and music with steady beats. Keep in mind, though,
that videos should be an occasional activity—not
a replacement for the live entertainment you and other
caregivers can provide.
So Smart! best hits the mark
in all areas. For parents who want the best for their
child, So Smart! is the natural choice. Below you will
find more reasons for why So Smart! remains such a unique,
special experience for babies and their parents.
How
we started
In 1997, when Alexandra was doing her doctoral research
on infants, she came upon an idea that she shared with
me. Researchers use the television to conduct studies
on how babies learn, and many other cognitive questions,
because the television has two properties that babies
respond to naturally: light and motion. If this is so,
why not use the television to present information to
little ones that is a totally new, stimulating experience
for them? Being an artist, Alex spent day and night
learning graphics software programs, and we researched
the animation industry. With a background in film, television
and journalism, as well as business, I began working
with Alex and developing concepts and a business plan
for a 30 minute home video titled, So
Smart! Sights & Sounds. At the time, there was
really no category like this. Nevertheless, parents
recognized the value instantly, and the video was an
instant success, winning multiple awards including Parenting
Magazine's Best Video of the Year, and becoming a best
seller in this new segment.
So Smart! is now a leading,
trusted brand in the developmental video market, with
numerous titles in a variety of formats, including VHS,
DVD, CD-Rom, music CDs and gift sets.
Why
is animation best?
Animation is the perfect fit for this age group. Although
it's more difficult and more expensive to produce, with
animation, one can control the content and visual environment,
allowing young children to follow and absorb the information
presented to them on-screen. Using certain basic principals
of psychology for this age group, we built in certain
key attributes that would make our programming most
effective and fun, things that had the proper blend
of professional and artistic sensitivity, which has
been our vision for So Smart! Animation allows us to
use bold, simple colors, shapes and backgrounds, most
effective and appropriate for this age segment. It allows
us to "build" shapes into more complex objects,
animals and people, to create a "puzzle" effect
and the excitement of, "what happens next?"
There are very few cuts in our programming, it is more
like a dance or ballet of content that weaves and fits
together in its own unique way. And best of all, there
is room for children to participate. Where traditional
programming leaves very little room for the child to
interact, ponder or offer their input, So Smart! deliberately
does. As a result, So Smart! becomes a fun, new world
for little ones, where there is room to laugh, clap,
"talk" and dance. At the same time, it also
can help to focus or calm baby. In short,
we feel this is the most effective way to use television
for this age group.
Our
music
The music we use for our soundtracks ranges from baby-friendly,
original music, in the case of Colors,
Spanish
and First
Words, or selections of age-appropriate classical
music, as found in Sights
& Sounds, Shapes,
Letters,
and Musical
Instruments. It is music that is not only stimulating
to little ones, but enjoyable to parents as well. In
addition, we feel that children should benefit from
the very best in music. This means specially-selected
classical music from its original sources, not simplified
synthesized music-box versions; and original music that
is truly original and choreographed to the images, not
canned music or silly compositions that sound like every
other children's song. Our goal is this: if mom or dad
are enjoying the very best in music, and their little
ones are too, then the family is more likely to share
this experience together, and we have done our job.
Our
artwork
Our artwork is also an important attribute of our products.
All of our artwork and characters are original creations
developed in-house by founder Alexandra Tornek. This
artwork, as mentioned above, contains attributes that
little ones respond best to, and are also works of art
in their own merit. Certain intangible attributes of
art--that evoke a warm feeling inside, or strong, positive
emotional reactions--are elements that children are
particularly sensitive to. We believe this is one of
the keys to So Smart!'s popularity. Again, give them
the very best!
A
different kind of fun
As I mentioned, one of the key tenets of our company
is to create programming that not only young children
will love, but parents enjoy as well. There is nothing
worse, and I say this as a parent, than having to listen
to grating, silly soundtracks, with little differentiation
across programs, or slapstick "children's comedy,"
of which there is an overabundance. We feel that children
at any age are more capable than many programs give
them credit for. "Dumbing down" of content
is easy to do, just as it's easy to give children candy
and fast food. They like it, it makes them happy, so
why not? But these little brains are capable of much
more, and it is up to us parents to decide what is a
good experience and what is not. Nothing wrong with
a little silliness, but there are equally entertaining
alternatives to silliness in children's programming
that have much more to offer, but that many parents
do not even know exist. Welcome to So Smart!
Making
claims
We have seen the category of "baby videos"
grow tremendously since we started back in 1997. We,
unfortunately, also have seen a number of videos targeting
this age group that make false claims and ridiculous
assumptions. It is a sad fact that hurts this new category,
confuses parents, and makes it that much more important
for parents to educate themselves on the differences
that, from the outside video packaging, may not be apparent.
One easy rule of thumb: if a video is claiming to do
more than you thought your child was ever capable of,
it probably isn't. That's because there is very little
research on this subject and age group, and many folks
who are producing videos have little or no educational
expertise, or sensitivity, to their audience. Of course,
I am biased, but I feel comfortable in stating that
I have yet to find another video series that I thought
was appropriate for my child as a baby, or as unique
in experience as So Smart! And, on a more objective
note, we have heard from top pediatricians and developmental
experts who feel the same way. Here's one testimonial
that illustrates my point:
We have watched a wide
variety of developmental videos for babies, including
Baby Einstein, and find So Smart! to be the best and
most effective series on the market. They have engaged
my daughter from an early age and many of her first
words were those featured graphically in So Smart!
products. Some of the areas in which So Smart! is
particularly unique:
1) Large, simple, stylized high contrast images
2) Accurate color representations
3) Ample time per image to allow parental interaction
4) Just enough motion in an individual presentation
to engage the viewing child.
Highly recommended!
--Jordan Orange MD/PhD/FAAP
Clinical Fellow in Pediatrics
Harvard Medical School
How
to use our programming
The key to learning is to play with your child, give
them the opportunity for lots of varied activity, and
in general provide many different experiences each day.
Television is a special experience that should be a
relatively small part of a little one's day, but it
should be a special experience nonetheless, and an opportunity
to explore, learn and grow.
We recommend the following maximum limits for television:
0-3 months:
not advised
3-9 months: a maximum of 10-15 minutes
in short increments, depending on their ability to focus.
9-18 months: a maximum of 30 minutes,
with shorter increments optional, depending on their
focus.
18-36 months: a maximum of 30 minutes
to one hour, with a maximum of 30 minutes in one sitting.
Some pointers on watching with your child:
If crying or not interested, don't push it.
So Smart! is effective in many cases at transitioning
children who are over-tired or cranky, but this really
depends on the child and their particular mood.
Use the video as a moving book, asking questions and
naming objects as you watch with your child in an interactive
way.
The
more parents are involved, the more their child will
benefit and ultimately learn.
What not to watch
News programming, sitcoms, anything meant for adults
or even older kids can be detrimental to children. They
absorb much more than we realize, even before they are
verbal. Having violent programming on in the background,
even if they are not actually watching, we feel is detrimental.
Regarding kids' cartoons and other programs, including
some classics that we might have watched as kids, watch
for violence, an overabundance of cuts and fast action.
For young children and with some programs, for older
children, this is inappropriate. Regarding feature movies
for kids, we have yet to find new releases in the theatre
appropriate for the "3 and Under" set. We
find that the combination of the large screen, high
volumes and dark atmosphere is usually not appropriate
for this age group.
The
future and So Smart!
Recently, So Smart! Productions happily expanded into
the next age and stage of child development: preschool!
Our new series for three to six year olds, King Otis
and the Kingdom of Goode, has already been met with
rave reviews from children, parents, teachers, early
childhood professionals and even film festival organizers.
This series represents our passion and dedication to
families: to lead, not follow, in producing the best
and most original concepts available in children’s
programming today.
Created for all ages, these 30 minute “mini-movies”
provide lessons on universal values using wonderfully
original and artistic animation techniques, Broadway-style
musicals, and captivating storytelling through laugh-inducing
characters. Please visit our ever-growing Kingdom of
Goode website to see more!
You can also check our new What’s
New section for upcoming new products from our company.
In the meantime, thank you for taking the time to read
about us at So Smart! Productions. Please always feel
free to contact us with your comments, questions and
feedback. We’ll do the best we can to answer them.
All the best from
Scott Tornek and the So Smart! Team
Privacy Policy
It is company policy that all personal information obtained from, or provided by any of our customers shall be utilized exclusively for internal processing. The information provided by our customers, including to any personal banking, credit card, the customer's billing and or shipping addresses and telephone numbers shall not be shared or traded in any manner with any other third party, other than to securely process orders. The company may on occasion send customers informational or special offer e-mails in order to better serve customers.
Returns Policy
You may return an item in its original condition for a refund or credit within 15 days of receiving it. Shipping charges can only be refunded if the return is due to our error. All returns must be accompanied by the packing slip/receipt. After a return has been received, it will take 1-2 weeks to process. For all return orders, a refund check will be mailed to you. We suggest using UPS or insured Parcel Post for your protection.
If you have any questions regarding our return policy, please feel free to contact us at 1-800 663-2741.
So
Smart! is a leading series of award-winning educational
videos, DVD’s, books, music CD’s, gift sets
and activities for babies, toddlers and preschool children.
If you have any questions about our company or products,
please call us toll-free at 1-800-663-2741 or email
us.
© 2006 The Baby School Company, Inc. d.b.a. So
Smart! Productions. All Rights Reserved. |
