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NewsParenting

July 3, 2023 by Admin 0 Comments

Announcing: Once Upon a Time at Camp Sparkler

For Release: July 3, 2023

CT OFFICE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD, 211 CHILD DEVELOPMENT, AND SPARKLER LEARNING LAUNCH EIGHT WEEKS OF FREE, VIRTUAL “CAMP SPARKLER” FOR CONNECTICUT FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN

Families Can Explore Folktales From Around The World and Learn Through Play Together to Spark Imaginations, Have Fun, and Earn Badges and Prizes

CONNECTICUT — Sparkler Learning teamed up with the CT Office of Early Childhood and 211 Child Development today to launch Camp Sparker, a free, eight week, virtual summer camp for families with children five and under in Connecticut. Starting today — July 3, 2023 — families will find a weekly lineup of stories and activities throughout the summer. Each week, families will find a story told by someone from the culture where it originated, as well as a lineup of off-screen, play-based learning activities for parents and children to play together. Families can access Camp Sparkler via Sparkler’s free mobile app, which is available for iOS and Android, smartphones and tablets. Families will receive digital badges for participation; the 100 families who participate the most throughout Camp Sparkler will get gift cards.

“We are excited to offer this free, virtual summer learning program to children and families across Connecticut,” said Dana Stewart, Director of Education at Sparkler. “We can’t wait to take an imaginary trip around the world with Connecticut families this summer — all thanks to the power of stories!”

“Sparkler gives parents, grandparents, and all caregivers in Connecticut an easy way to better understand and celebrate a young child’s development and tap into resources, if needed, in one place,” said Lisa Tepper Bates, President and CEO of the United Way of Connecticut. “United Way of Connecticut/211 Child Development is pleased to partner with Sparkler to serve as a resource to parents for information and answers about your child’s healthy development. Parents can connect with us via Sparkler, or directly by calling 211.”

Camp Sparkler starts the week of July 3, 2023 and runs through the week of August 21. In order to participate, families need to download the Sparkler app from the Google Play store or Apple App Store and register with a local Connecticut program code or the access code CT. Any Connecticut family with a child five and under will be enrolled and able to participate as much as they want.

Families will earn a Seed Badge for their first completed Camp Sparkler play each week, a Sprout Badge for two plays in a week, a Leaf Badge for three plays in a week, and a Blossom Badge for five plays in a week. Gift card prizes will be awarded to the 100 eligible families who participate the most throughout the summer program. In order to be eligible for prizes and badges, families must press “We Did It” after completing an activity and submit a photo of each completed activity via Sparkler.

Here is the lineup of the weekly stories:

Week 1, July 3-9: The First Fire, a Cherokee story (North America)
Week 2, July 10-16: The Two Frogs Who Hop Between Osaka and Kyoto, a Japanese story (Asia)
Week 3, July 17-23: How the Beetle Got Her Gorgeous Coat, a Brazilian story (South America)
Week 4, July 24-30: The Enormous Turnip, a Russian story (Europe)
Week 5, July 31-Aug 6: The Empty Pot, a Chinese story (Asia)
Week 6, Aug 7-13: Why the Cheetah’s Cheeks are Stained with Tears, a Zulu story (Africa)
Week 7, Aug 14-20: The Rainbow Serpent, an Aboriginal Australian story (Australia)
Week 8, Aug 21-27: Now it’s YOUR turn! Let’s tell stories! (Global)

Camp Sparkler will help families grow children’s skills through hands-on, play-based learning. The play activities will help families support their children’s developing hearts, minds, bodies, and words. Activities will help families work on social and emotional skills like self regulation; early math and literacy skills; problem solving and memory; and fine and gross motor skills.

Families who sign up for Camp Sparkler are welcome to access all of Sparkler, including free developmental screening using the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®. Families who have questions or concerns about their children’s development can use the app to engage with care coordinators at 211 Child Development who can answer questions and connect them with needed answers or local resources. In Connecticut, Sparkler is funded by the State’s Office of Early Childhood to offer statewide developmental screening and support to families with children 0-5 and to programs serving children in that age range.

Learn more about Camp Sparkler: https://playsparkler.org/campsparkler23/

Learn more about the CT Office of Early Childhood: https://www.ctoec.org/

Learn more about 211 Child Development: https://cdi.211ct.org/

Press Contacts:

For Sparkler: news@playsparkler.org

For OEC: Maggie Adair, maggie.adair@ct.gov

Family SupportNews

November 16, 2022 by Admin 0 Comments

How 211 Supports Families & Programs Through Sparkler CT

All families and providers using Sparkler can access the knowledge and connections of the care coordinators at 211 Child Development. Many families use Sparkler to link up with and get support from their schools and programs; they can also reach out to 211 to get additional answers and support. Likewise, programs can reach out to 211 to discuss the right approach for a particular family or help a family access early intervention or other services.

“The Sparkler app and the support I’ve received from 211 Child Development have made a big difference for me as a parent of a four year old with behavioral challenges,” said one New Haven mom about her recent experience.

This parent shared that her son was having a hard time managing his emotions and behaviors at his preschool.

She completed the ASQ:SE-2 using the Sparkler mobile app to learn more about her son’s social and emotional development.

“Completing the assessment on Sparkler was quick and easy,” she said.

A care coordinator from 211 Child Development, who got in touch with the mother, reviewed the screening results; talked through areas of concern; sent useful materials; encouraged the family to set up an evaluation for preschool special education; and directed them to community-based behavioral health service providers.

“I would never have gotten him the services he needed so quickly without this guidance from 211 Child Development,” the mother shared. “Everyone I spoke with at 211 Child Development was supportive, kind, and extremely helpful. My only regret is that I did not sign up for Sparkler or call 211 Child Development earlier.”

Expanding Access and Support

211 Child Development started as a central call center to broaden access for Connecticut families in 2002 — more than 20 years ago. Today — in our mobile, digitally enabled modern world — 211 is working closely with Sparkler to expand access using mobile technology.

All families in Connecticut who are signing up for Sparkler are agreeing to share information with 211 Child Development — a specialized unit of United Way of Connecticut that supports children’s healthy growth and development, starting from pregnancy. This enables Sparkler CT to have 211 as a partner in supporting both families who use Sparkler to link directly with 211 (using the statewide access code CT); it also enables 211 Care Coordinators to support programs working with families using Sparkler.

Support for Families AND Providers

Care Coordinators work with families and programs to understand families’ needs and concerns; connect families with statewide and local services; and follow up to ensure the families’ needs have been met. More specifically, 211 can link families to local community-based services and resources such as home visiting, parenting education, parent to parent supports, behavioral health supports, and advocacy. It can also help parents understand and track their child’s development the Ages & Stages Questionnaires, which are available through Sparkler (as well as online and on paper).

In Connecticut, 211 Child Development serves as the central access point for:

Birth to Three (for families of infants and toddlers under 3 with significant developmental delays or disabilities);
Early Childhood Special Education (for children 3-5 who might need special education services); and
Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs (for children and youth with chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions).

Any message from a Family sent via the two-way messaging functions in Sparkler will be seen by 211 Care Coordinators — so families can use Sparkler to reach out to 211 Child Development. Families or providers can also call the 211 Child Development direct line at 1-800-505-7000 to speak with a care coordinator. Business Hours are: Monday through Friday from 8 AM – 6 PM, except holidays. Messages can be left 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and calls will be returned promptly. Referrals can also be made to 211 Child Development by fax or online here.

Newssocial emotional

June 22, 2022 by Admin 0 Comments

Pyramid Model: New to Sparkler

Sparkler is excited to announce that four new units adapted from the Pyramid Model — a social and emotional learning framework used widely in Connecticut — are now available to all CT Sparkler families.

These new units include: Challenging Behaviors (addressing challenging behaviors like hitting, biting, whining, and tantrums); Big Feelings (helping children label and understand their emotions); Social Creatures (helping children practice social skills like sharing and caring for others); and Routines & Schedules (how families can use routines and schedules to support children’s development).

Each unit provides a brief overview in English or Spanish for the parent/caregiver and then provides some practical tips they can use to support their child.

The Pyramid Model is a framework of evidence-based practices for promoting healthy social and emotional development for young children. Pyramid, which is used widely in Connecticut, offers high-quality resources to promote family engagement. Please find handouts from the “Backpack Connection Series” on the Pyramid website for more resources you can share with families.

Connecticut providers can find and share these units with families under “Tips” in the Library from your Dashboard. Here’s how:

Go to the Sparkler Dashboard
Sign in using your credentials
Go to Library
Tap on Tips
Search for the units by name
Send to one or more parents who could benefit

If there is additional content that you would like to see in Sparkler, please let us know! Email support@playsparkler.org anytime to share your ideas!

InfographicNewssocial emotional

January 11, 2022 by Julia Levy 0 Comments

Social and Emotional Learning Infographic

At the start of the 2021-22 school year, six in ten U.S. parents said their top concern for the coming school year is their child’s social and emotional wellness, about double the percentage of parents who voiced concerns about their children’s academic learning (source).

Social and emotional learning is top of mind, but what is it, why does it matter, and how can educators and parents prioritize it right now? Learn more in Sparkler’s new infographic about social and emotional learning.

Sources:

49th Annual PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. Academic achievement isn’t the only mission: Americans overwhelmingly support investments in career preparation, personal skills. Kappan magazine supplement, PDK, September, 2017.

Clive Belfield, Brooks Bowden, Alli Klapp, Henry Levin, Robert Shand, Sabine Zander. The Economic Value of Social and Emotional Learning. Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education Teachers College, Columbia University, February, 2015.

Julie Cohen, Ngozi Onunaku, Steffanie Clothier, and Julie Poppe. Helping Young Children Succeed: Strategies to Promote Early Childhood Social and Emotional Development. Zero to Three, 2005.

Emma Dorn, Bryan Hancock, Jimmy Sarakatsannis, and Ellen Viruleg. COVID-19 and education: The lingering effects of unfinished learning. McKinsey & Company, July 27, 2021.

Joseph Drulak, Roger Weissberg, Allison B. Dymincki and Rebecca Taylor, and Kriston B. Schellinger. The Impact of Enhancing Students’ Social and Emotional Learning: An Analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions. Child Development, January/February 2011.)

Susan D. Hillis et al. COVID-19-Associated Orphanhood and Caregiver Death in the United States. Pediatrics, December 1, 2021.

Damon E. Jones, Mark Greenberg, and Max Crowley. Early Social-Emotional Functioning and Public Health: The Relationship Between Kindergarten Social Competence and Future Wellness. American Journal of Public Health, October, 2015.

Stephanie M. Jones, Emily J. Doolittle et al. The Future of Children. Social and Emotional Learning. Princeton, Brookings, Volume 27, Number 1, Spring 2017.

McGraw Hill 2021 SEL Survey. 2021 Social and Emotional Learning Report. McGraw Hill, 2021.

Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A. U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Protecting Youth Mental Health. December, 2021.

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. Establishing a Level Foundation for Life: Mental Health Begins in Early Childhood: Working Paper 6. Updated Edition, 2008/2012.

Paul Terefenko. Q&A With Paul Tough: Environment Matters for Student Success. EducationWeek, June 30, 2016.

Roger Weissberg. Promoting the Social and Emotional Learning of Millions of School Children. Perspectives on Psychological Science, January 18, 2019.

Roger Weissberg. Why Social and Emotional Learning is Essential for Students. Edutopia, Feb. 15, 2016.

News

December 10, 2021 by Admin 0 Comments

Sparkler Is Now Statewide in CT

Sparkler Now Available to Providers and Families Across Connecticut

In October 2021, OEC Commissioner Beth Bye stood with Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Connecticut United Way President and CEO Lisa Tepper Bates, and colleagues at the CT Department of Public Health, CT State Department of Education, and CT Department of Children and Families, to announce that Sparkler is now available statewide to families of children 0-5 and to education, social service, and healthcare providers serving those families.

“Families have been through a lot,” OEC Commissioner Beth Bye said. “This is the moment to help families connect about and get in tune with their child’s development. Sparkler helps parents to check in on how their child is doing against key milestones and provides activities to spark their early learning. Supporting our youngest citizens is important for individual families and for our entire state. Given the challenges of COVID, connecting families to information and supports is incredibly important.”

Read the press release to learn more.

You can also watch some news clips to learn about the announcement: State Offering Free App to CT Families to Help With Child Development (NBC CT), New app launched in CT designed to support early childhood development (News 8), and Sparkler app for parents and caregivers to measure child developmental growth now available in CT (Fox 61).

More About Sparkler CT

Early Results

Since the announcement, Connecticut has seen families sign up nearly 2,000 for Sparkler and has seen more than 1,600 ASQ-3s and ASQ:SE-2s completed via Sparkler.

Of the ASQ-3s completed, about half were on schedule in all categories; 28% had a “monitor” in at least one category; and 21% had at least one “refer.” Fine motor skills led to the greatest number of monitors and refers.

There has been a particular interest in the social-emotional questionnaire since the statewide announcement, with the numbers of completions nearly keeping pace with the comprehensive ASQ-3, which covers communication, fine motor, gross motor, problem-solving, and personal-social skills. Since October 2021, 78% of ASQ:SE-2s completed using Sparkler in Connecticut have scored on schedule on this questionnaire.

All families who have completed screenings have received feedback from Care Coordinators at 211 Child Development or from their CT-based program/provider.

Since October, Sparkler has also onboarded dozens of new schools, districts, and other CT-based providers, who are now using Sparkler to connect with and engage with families.

Information for CT Providers

Sparkler is free for Connecticut providers and free for families, thanks to the CT Office of Early Childhood. Providers using Sparkler with families include: day cares, schools, and school districts, family resource centers, school readiness organizations, healthcare providers, home visitors, DCF workers, and more. Sparkler allows providers to offer:

Developmental screening (ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2);
Play-based learning activities and tips for parents to help families support their children’s learning from birth through kindergarten; and
Connection — regular tips and two-way communication.

In addition to helping providers support and engage families, Sparkler also helps participating providers to comply with legislation and accreditation requirements:

In July 2021, Connecticut Governor Lamont passed legislation to support Child Find, which is related to Sparkler. The new law says if a child is ineligible for participation in preschool programs under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, they should be offered a screening for developmental and social-emotional delays using validated assessment tools, such as the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®. (ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 are both available to families for free in CT via Sparkler.) Learn more from the State Department of Education. Here’s the form from Birth to Three for families not eligible for Part B. Learn more from Birth to Three about Referral Eligibility.

Are you going through NAEYC accreditation? Sparkler can help you. NAEYC recommends that all children enrolled in an early childhood program should receive developmental screening within three months of program entry: Standard 4.C — Identifying Children’s Interests and Needs and Describing Children’s Progress. 4C.3 states: “Show that the children receive a developmental screening that evaluates language, cognitive, gross motor, fine motor, and social and emotional development.” NAEYC addresses the need for an assessment plan (specifically referencing the Ages & Stages Questionnaires) and the importance of communicating with families about all the areas of their child’s development, using both formal and informal opportunities to exchange information and to make them aware of confidentiality and disclosure policies.

More For CT Providers

Answer Questions & Get Involved

Are you a current provider working with Sparkler who wants to attend an upcoming training? Here’s our calendar. If you have questions, please check out our FAQ. You are also welcome to email us: support@playsparkler.org.

Do you need handouts, posters, and other materials to share Sparkler with your team or the families in your community — either printed or digital or both? Please fill out this form.

Are you from a CT program interested in using Sparkler in your school or program? Sign up here.

Are you a parent with young children interested in using the app? Learn how!