“Smile Zemi” Launches Pre-kindergarten Learning Program for Ages 3–4 Tablet-based curriculum targets the critical early years and aims to bring children to first-grade level within a year
(Torrance, CA - April 22, 2026) - A child who starts Smile Zemi’s new Pre-kindergarten Course at age 3 or 4 could be reading and doing math at a first-grade level before they ever walk into a kindergarten classroom. That’s the premise behind today’s launch from JUSTSYSTEMS AMERICA, INC., which is expanding its dedicated-tablet learning service to its youngest users yet.
The program extends Smile Zemi’s U.S. curriculum, which spans Pre-K through Grade 5, into the earliest years of childhood development, a window researchers widely consider pivotal for establishing long-term academic habits.
The curriculum covers seven subject areas: Alphabet, Math, ELA, Science, Social Skills, Thinking Skills, and Art & Music. In literacy, children start with basic strokes – straight lines, curves – before progressing to full letters, guided by on-screen animations that show proper stroke direction. In math, the focus is number sense: counting, ordering, and writing numerals through hands-on screen interaction meant to build the foundation for later arithmetic.
The course centers on a proprietary tablet and stylus. Rather than tapping or swiping, children write directly on the screen, an approach Smile Zemi says activates deeper cognitive engagement and mirrors the muscle memory development of traditional pencil-and-paper learning.
The program easily adapts to each child’s pace, allowing for review when concepts need reinforcement and automatically unlocking advanced content when a child is ready. The tablet itself operates as a closed system: no social media, no outside websites, no games, which means a distraction-free environment for young learners.
“We developed this interface so that children can navigate it easily and experience success from their very first interactions,” said Kyotaro Sekinada, President and CEO of JUSTSYSTEMS AMERICA, INC. “We want them to build a genuine joy of learning before they ever set foot in a classroom.”
Smile Zemi originally launched in Japan in 2012 and expanded to the U.S. market in 2023. The platform currently serves students from Pre-K through elementary school and uses AI-assisted personalization across all grade levels.
The Pre-kindergarten Course is available immediately for $99.99 per month. A 21-day home trial is offered to new families.
“Smile Zemi”: High-Quality Tablet Learning Through Interactive Engagement
Smile Zemi is a home learning system that launched in Japan in 2012, designed for preschool, elementary, junior high, and high school students to study using a dedicated tablet. All courses offer high-quality learning through the concept of “learning by writing” similar to using paper and pencil, and “Interactive Learning” utilizing AI. In 2023, Smile Zemi for kindergarten and elementary school students was also launched in the United States.
For information, visit www.smile-zemi.com/pk/