Every moment of the early years matters and shapes people for the rest of their lives. Sparkler is an early learning and family engagement nonprofit that works with organizations to spark healthy early childhood learning and development. Sparkler offers 2,000+ learning activities that families can play together (off screen, in real life) using Sparkler’s mobile app. This page contains a sampling of Sparkler’s resources for educators, which are aligned with standards (Early Learning Outcomes Framework & CT Early Learning and Development Standards). These resources are meant to (1) spark meaningful classroom conversations and (2) draw on Sparkler resources to build the connection between home and school.
Welcome to "Us Time"
Us Time is a framework for classroom community meetings for young students, encouraging teachers to use activities, songs, and stories from Sparkler and our partners to grow kids’ hearts (and build other fundamental early skills, too, in the process). The lessons are all linked with materials from Sparkler that families can use together at home — to keep the conversations and learning going and to build connections between schools and homes.
Us Time invites children to embark on the life-long discovery of how to be with ourselves and each other in the world. It also helps teachers engage parents and caregivers, using do-together activities, parent tips, songs, and interactive tools available from Sparkler Learning and its partners.
Us Time Elements
We use icons throughout Us Time to help you quickly navigate through the curriculum. Here’s what to expect:
Lesson Goals
Materials
Play a Song/Video
Voice/Body Break
Vocabulary
Discussion
Activity
Stories
Parent Materials
Us Time Units of Study
Family Engagement Materials
Feedback?
Have you tried using our educator resources in your classroom? We’re interested in learning from your experience as an educator and about how your students reacted to the different components of Us Time: Feelings. Please email us — we’d love to talk: support@playsparkler.org.