Kmart Helps Teachers and Parents Talk to Kids About Money Management

According to a new consumer survey* conducted by Kmart, three in four Americans feel it's more important for parents to discuss finances with their children now than it was 12 months ago. However, it seems that talking to their children may be easier said than done - as more than half of parents have a hard time simply broaching the subject of money management or finances with their children as they get older.

To get the conversation started, Kmart is taking steps to help teachers and parents instill financial literacy into America's youth with its Kmart Money Smart curriculum. Just in time for kids to head back to the classroom, the retailer has teamed up with TIME For Kids to develop the free, downloadable Kmart Money Smart curricula for teachers and parents available at www.kmart.com/teachers and on www.timeforkids.com. The retailer is committed to providing parents, teachers and students with the tools they need to go back to school with confidence.

"The Kmart survey found that nearly seven in 10 American parents are worried that they won't be able to instill proper financial knowledge in their children," says Mark Snyder, Kmart's chief marketing officer. "Kmart is committed to offering our customers the best value in our stores and support them as they strive to teach values to their families. Our children need tools to succeed and Kmart is proud to offer some of those tools."

The curriculum, designed for children in elementary grades, enables parents and teachers to educate children on life skills and money-management comprehension. The program offers downloadable worksheets that include fun, educational puzzles, riddles and word scrambles all centered on prioritizing spending as well as a guide to help students create their own spending budgets.

"One of the greatest financial lessons we can teach our children is the importance of spending wisely," says David Bach, financial expert and best-selling author of Fight for Your Money: How to Stop Getting Ripped Off and Save a Fortune. "The tools included in the Kmart Money Smart curriculum will help parents and teachers educate students about setting budgets and staying out of debt, which is the foundation for a successful financial future."

For teachers, the classroom Money Smart program offers discussion starters and financial word problems, such as "The Sixth Cent" and "Kids & Change," in addition to tips from fellow teachers with ways to save on classroom expenses.

"In light of today's economy, Kmart's Money Smart curriculum is a forward-thinking approach to addressing financial literacy with engaging activities that give kids the basic tools to understand how to manage their money," said Eileen Masio, TIME For Kids' Executive Director of Marketing.

This year Kmart is working with the National Education Association (NEA) and TheApple.com to promote back-to-school coupons specifically for teachers as they are planning for the school year. "On average each year, teachers spend $300 of their own money on school supplies. It's critical for us to give back to these individuals that educate our children and provide them with deep discounts and exclusive deals," said Snyder.

Teachers can visit www.kmart.com/teachers to download the Money Smart program, browse "teacher exclusive savings" and sign-up to receive year-round savings offers to help them keep their classrooms stocked with all school essentials.

Right now to help teachers stock their classrooms, Kmart is offering the following deals:

  --  $5 off $50 teacher whole-house coupon
  --  $10 off $50 teacher apparel coupon
  --  $1.50 off Avery Retractable 2-pack Highlighter
  --  $1.50 off Avery 4-pack Whiteboard Marker
  --  $1.70 off Avery Durable View Binder
  --  50 cents off 5-Star Stay-Put Folder
  --  $1 off 5-Star TruLock Binder

  --  50 cents off Crayola 8-count Jumbo Crayons

Kmart is the one-stop destination for all back-to-school essentials. The retailer offers everything from cool fashions and a "Be a Schoolebrity" sweepstakes, to deep discounts and Layaway. Teachers, parents and kids can get ready to rock this upcoming school year by visiting www.kmart.com/schoolebrity.

About Kmart

Kmart, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a mass-merchandising company that offers customers quality products through a portfolio of exclusive brands that include Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, Martha Stewart Everyday and Route 66. For more information visit the company's Web site at www.kmart.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation Web site at www.searsholdings.com.

*About the Survey

The Kmart Finance Survey was conducted by Kelton Research between July 21st, 2009 and July 25th, 2009 using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total U.S. population ages 18 and over. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

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SOURCE: Kmart

CONTACT: Natalie Norris-Howser of Kmart, +1-847-286-6080,
Natalie.Norris-Howser@searshc.com, or Carolyn Goldberg of Euro RSCG Worldwide
PR, +1-212-367-6947, carolyn.goldberg@eurorscg.com

Web Site: http://www.kmart.com/