SPARK expands to prepare more children for kindergarten

The Children’s Home of Cincinnati has offered the Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) program since 2009, and it continues to expand its reach, as it now serves children in four different Cincinnati communities.
 
The program’s goal is to help prepare children for the transition from preschool to kindergarten, with a particular emphasis on children who have never attended preschool.
 
“Together—me and the parents—we develop a learning plan, and that’s determined by things I see on the assessment,” says Felicia Selvie, SPARK parent partner. “And some things the parent wants to see the child work on might be, ‘I want them to identify letters in their name, I want them to write their name, I want them to tie their shoes'.”
 
SPARK has a set curriculum for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds, but Selvie says she and other parent partners always leave a book as an activity for parents and children to read together as an at-home activity.
 
“They are getting the foundation—some kind of education—so that when they come into the school building, they’re not so behind,” Selvie says.
 
“We’re working on colors, numbers, letters, writing—and these are things that if they’re not in school, they’re not getting any of that," she continues. "The parents, of course, are working with them, but a lot of kids—they’re looking forward to having someone else other than mom work with them.” 

Do Good:

• Support SPARK so it can become available to more schools in the future.

• Like SPARK on Facebook, and spread the word to your friends.

• Contact Felicia if you'd like to donate books to the program.

By Brittany York

Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a project manager for Charitable Words. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.