Munchkin Lane LLC
Vendor
How Munchkin Lane Got Started
Like many families with school-aged kids, when COVID-19 first appeared we had to scramble to make sure they didn’t fall behind in their studies.
My oldest child was in first grade and the second oldest was a kindergartner. While their teachers were doing the best they could to keep lessons coming, it wasn’t working great for my kids.
The teachers would send packets that contained a bunch of individual sheets of paper, each one with a different lesson. The sheets would fall out of the packets all loosey-goosey and every time I opened one up my oldest son would cry, “Not another paper!”
Designed With Children and Parents in Mind
That’s when I came up with the concept of developing workbooks, where lessons could be put together in one cohesive, organized place. Gone were the individual papers scattered everywhere.
As a mom who was suddenly a teacher again (with three other young kids to look after) I wanted to make the workbooks as simple as possible for parents as well.
Munchkin Lane workbooks don’t have a lot of directions. Instead, they teach kids what to do as they’re doing the lessons. That means mom and dad don’t need a manual on how to teach their kids and reduces the amount of time necessary for parents to be involved in overseeing the work.
New Experiences Spark Innovation
Since we first started Munchkin Lane, we keep making improvements.
As my kids get older, I learn a little more from them and get new ideas. And we get feedback from parents about our products that helps us make sure we’re meeting their needs.
But the inspiration that sparked Munchkin Lane continues today. We want to provide a stress-free way to help your child develop a love of learning. It’s a gift that will stay with them their whole lives!
Lessons from a Lifetime of Learning
Learning has always been a passion for me.
Learning empowers us. It helps to better understand the world around us. And it provides us with satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.
I knew early on that I wanted to share that passion with others. I was a lifeguard in high school and started giving young kids swimming lessons. That introduced me to the world of teaching and I was hooked.
Learning from Teaching
I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University-Idaho in three years. I took 21 credits a semester, determined to finish as quickly as possible so I could save money and become a teacher sooner rather than later.
My first job out of college was teaching first grade at a brand new charter school. We arrived the day before classes were to begin and the only thing in the classroom was a clock on the wall. We spent the day putting together desks and chairs – then started developing the curriculum and content for the classes.
It wasn’t easy but by doing it ourselves we were able to customize what we were teaching. It allowed me to understand first-hand what kids were interested in and how they were learning – and how they weren’t.
Then, I could change the activities to better meet their needs while at the same time maintaining educational standards. It was an important lesson for me to see the value of matching the classroom material to the kids’ learning styles.
Lessons from My Family
I taught first grade for four years before starting a family of my own. Today, my husband and I have five beautiful children between the ages of 9- and 4-years-old. And I have continued to learn from them.
Each child has a different personality. Each has their own learning style. Each has individual strengths and challenges. What works for one may not work for another.
I started Munchkin Lane to help families like mine by providing learning experiences that are grounded in educational research and theory, but tailored to the needs of kids. And I wanted to help parents have access to customized tools that can help their kids develop a love of learning that can last a lifetime.
It’s a journey we can all take together.
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