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Sparc

Welcome to SPARC

The SPARC programme aims to:

  • Promote social and emotional development in infants and young children, aged 0-6 years old, as a continuous process
  • Promote the inclusion of all children, regardless of race, disability and gender
  • Facilitate partnership working in developing the 'Every Child Matters' strategy
  • Engage local people and professionals in promoting emotional health in children and young people
  • Build the confidence and skills of local people
  • Facilitate the appropriate flow of information between parents/carers, individual settings and schools
Sparc box

There is compelling evidence that positive early experiences maximise learning potential.

There is an identified need to develop a strong foundation for later emotional health.

The capacity for brain development is particularly strong during the first 3 years of life. Intelligence, social behaviour and personality are established during this critical period.

Children with effective social and emotional skills are likely to achieve well in all areas of their development.

SPARC is a developmental programme with materials, which can be used to encourage positive interaction between parents, carers, teachers or teaching assistants and young children.

The programme is designed around a set of developmental 'pathways' in the key areas of communication, reciprocal play, emotion and self-esteem.

SPARC is a pack of activity cards, which provide guidance for adults. The activity cards are colour coded as follows:

Getting to know you - 10 cards
Activities for children 0-6 months

Communication - 31 cards
Activities for children aged 6 months to 6 years 11 months

Reciprocal play - 14 cards
Activities for children aged 6 months to 6 years 11 months

Self-esteem - 12 cards
Activities for children aged 6 months to 6 years 11 months

Emotion - 16 cards
Activities for children aged 6 months to 6 years 11 months

'Pathways' can be used to profile development. Pathways are a range of developmental activities from birth to 6 years.

SPARC can be used in partnership with other teaching materials, e.g. Early Learning Foundation Stage Curriculum, Profiles.

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