Celebrating Learning Differences with Q. Smith

In the United States, about 15% of students receive special education or related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Learning differences aren’t all alike, but they can all affect how people process, store, and retrieve information — and they can have an impact on many parts of life, from learning to memory to how people express themselves and how people develop relationships with one another.In this episode, Todd talks with four children — Reese, Willa-Kate, Oliver, and Alessio — all of whom have diagnosed learning differences. They share their experiences and feelings related to their learning differences and go on a journey to the Land of Qook-a-lackas to help a Qook-a-lacka friend, Professor Kimpton, reconsider how to support a Qook-a-leekie student. This episode is for ALL children and families. It can help them to understand — and rethink — their own differences and their friends’ and classmates’ differences. It can also help children and families think of strategies they can use to persevere through challenges. The guest star in this episode is Q. Smith, a Broadway actor and a passionate educator.  Q. created the role of Hannah and others in the Tony Award winning musical Come From Away. She is also in the film version on AppleTV+. Q. has toured with the North American Broadway show A Night With Janis Joplin, playing the roles of Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone. Before Come From Away, Q. closed the Broadway production of Mary Poppins. She was the first African American to have a leading role in the history of Mary Poppins. (Read Q.'s full bio on our website.)The original song in the episode, "Super Superpower," was written by educator/composer Benjamin Weiner and performed by Q. Smith. Sound design and mixing is by Ahmed Ashour, and the ukulele music you hear is by actor and composer Bill English.Find more resources and activities to keep the learning going online at https://playsparkler.org/little-kids-big-hearts-learning-differences/.