A very special feature of every program is the call-in news items phoned in by children any time from anywhere and left as voice mail to be audio-edited and aired on the TV shows. We encourage you - teachers and parents - to help children call the Smart Start Kids phone number 1-888-912-3450 to share their news.

Before calling, help each child decide on a news item to tell. Please be sure to turn down your TV volume, so your child's voice can be
heard clearly.

After you or the child dials the number, the child will hear a greeting from Willa. She asks the child to give his or her first name, where he or she is calling from, and then to "tell your news." The teacher or parent needs to step in with prompts ("What happened next?) if the child stops talking, because the operator automatically says, "Do you want to continue?" if there is 5 seconds of silence. The editors will edit out the adult voices, so you need not worry about anyone but the 3-to-5-year-olds being heard on the air! Please keep this information near the phone for quick reference.

Do you want us to call you back? Then get a grown-up to leave your telephone number. We want to call you back but we really need to understand the whole number, including the area code. That is why it is better if you ask a grown-up to say your first name, where you live, and your phone number.