"Does anyone know what an astronaut does?" a calm and gentle recorded voice asked the classroom.

A small group of children, all too young for public school, sat around a "u"-shaped table, facing a SMART Board™ illuminating a cartoon astronaut. The class's teacher repeats the question and little hands shoot up.

"They go into space and get rocks," said a tiny voice,

"What do they do with those rocks?" asks the teacher.

"Study them," another child answers. After a few more questions, the children got to color their own astronauts. The concept of constellations followed, and the children took turns using the SMART Board™ to interactively connect lines between the stars projected onto the screen.

This was just a typical scene at FasTracKids® in Carrollwood, an internationally-renowned, revolutionary, and highly-effective school-readiness program for children of ages three to seven. Having started in Denver in 1998, FasTracKids has already established itself in 34 countries, has been translated into 10 languages, and is now one of the fastest growing franchise organizations in the world.

At FasTracKids®, children of mixed ages learn together in classes that typically last two hours. They remain focused for the duration, due in part to the style of instruction. The children are constantly switching modes between question/answer sessions, interactive activities, creative outlets, and giving their own presentations; a process called "educational zigzagging". Most of all, the entire time they are learning, the children are being entertained. Every question seems to have a follow up that challenges the children to think "how" and "why". After asking if they can recognize shapes in a picture of clouds, the children are asked "why do clouds move?" and "why do they change shape?".

Teesta Sullivan, director of the Carrollwood franchise, explained the premise behind the program, and of her involvement, with the fervor of one who has stumbled across an answer to one of life's mysteries.

"My husband and I had three children under four, and we were looking for supplemental education programs for them," she explained, shedding light onto how she got involved with FasTracKids®. "At the same time we were looking for different entrepreneurial opportunities, and we stumbled across this and thought it would be a great way to merge the two goals together. We were concerned that public schools in Florida are in the lower twentieth percentile in the U.S. My family is originally from India; education was always a focal point growing up. As the world is shrinking and becoming a global economy, some of the Asian countries are really surpassing us."

Sullivan, a former prosecutor, is concerned that the level of intimidation a child has for public speaking can carry on with them as they get older. At FasTracKids®, every child gives videotaped presentations that are played back on the SMART Board™ and critiqued positively. This dramatically builds their confidence, while improving their communication skills.

The SMART Board™ system integrates a touch-sensitive projection screen, a computer, and audio/video devices. Interactive lessons on CD-ROM's coincide with what the instructors are teaching.

Lakshmi Leneves, parent of her recently-enrolled, four-and-a-half year-old son, Sunil, was immediately impressed with the program. "He loves it," she says of her child. "He wants to play with the big board. I'll keep bringing him here."

"I think it's a great course, full of interaction," said Robbie Turner, father of six year-old Daniella, another recent addition to the program. "It builds them self-confidence"

"We teach a number of topics that traditionally aren't taught until the kids are older, like economics, goal-setting, astronomy, and communications," said Sullivan. "We do a lot of hands-on activities with mixed age groups in the same class. The belief is that the older children will gain leadership skills, as well as confidence skills, and the younger children will look up to the older kids and strive to behave a little bit better."

The curriculum, created by an international team of curriculum consultants, is designed modularly, so a child can join at any point throughout the year. The theory behind FasTracKids'® success is biological.

"50 percent of neuron connections are made by the time the child is five, 80 percent by the age of 8," Sullivan explained. "Think of it as a fishnet, the tighter the weave, the smaller fish you'll be able to catch. You want give them much stimulation so they can have as much of that neural growth as possible when they're young." She also pointed out studies that have shown that children learn better when they are having fun and being actively engaged, not just sitting and being lectured to, which is why FasTracKids® involves so many hands-on activities.

"It's really amazing to me," Lorrinda Gamson, mother of three year-old Noah, said of the program. "He said to me 'Mommy, my bladder is telling my brain that it's full!'. He's three years old and understands the concepts, and he's developed a lot of self-confidence."

It's to the outside-the-box approach to learning that FasTracKids® owes its success. And perhaps this success can be measured by all the amazing little children who themselves have learned to think outside-the-box.

"If the child wants to draw a purple cow," said Sullivan. "There's nothing wrong with that, let them do so."

For more information, visit www.fastrackids.com.

Pictured at top is Teesta Sullivan with son Kyler