|
This
is Michael Youngwood, a parent in one of the childcare centers where
the Sparkle and Shine program was field-tested. I am with the
creator of the program, Llynda Fogle, who has agreed to let me interview
her.
 1. So tell me Llynda, what is the Sparkle and
Shine program?
Sparkle
and Shine School Readiness Program is designed to help young
children ages three to six be ready for
school and ready
for life.
It consists of a Teacher/ Parent guide, two music CDs, a
video, an activity book, a readiness poster, and postcards for
now,
but other
products are coming. It incorporates social-emotional skills,
self-help skills, cognitive skills, and physical activities,
all creatively
woven into a strong literacy based program designed to help
children transition to kindergarten and be ready for school. And
it’s
fun.
2. How do the different parts of the Sparkle
and Shine program work together?
First of all, I wanted Sparkle and
Shine to be a hands-on, activity-based program designed to captivate
young learners and support teachers,
care givers, and parents in their efforts to help children
be successful.
The I’m Ready, Here I Come! teacher/parent
guide is the centerpiece of our program. It includes stories
to share,
activities to do together, and the words of all the songs
on one CD. With each lesson are “Points to Ponder” to
help teachers and parents understand why the new skills the children
are learning
are so important in overall development.
Next, the CDs emphasize
all of the “Positive Points” skills
contained in the guidebook with 31 upbeat, moving songs to
help the children remember these lessons. Children love these
songs and singing
them makes the messages easy to remember.
The video, “Sparkle
and Friends” reinforces the mini-lessons
about school readiness. The puppet animations bring the characters
to life and captivate children’s attention.
The “Sparkle
and Shine Share Time with Me Activity Book” is
designed so a child with an adult helper can practice school
readiness skills. Parents can use it as a keepsake book, and
teachers can use
it as a part of a child’s portfolio.
The School Readiness
Poster helps parents and others know the skills children need
for success in school, and the post cards
can be
used by schools to welcome children. I am developing other
materials that
we will soon be able to offer.
3. Is there anything like it on the market? I mean, what makes
Sparkle and Shine unique?
Well it is unique. We have combined
music, activities, videos, stories with “Points to Ponder,” plus
an activity book so that everything delights children while preparing
them for school. It’s
engaging and fun for everyone! Children’s most important
work is play, and we made sure this work was as fun as any
play. Sure,
we’re learning about how to get along and take a bath
and manage our feelings and letters and numbers, but we’re
also having a lot of fun while we learn!
And the animal characters
of Sparkle and Shine have the kind of personalities children
can relate to. They are timid, and
brash,
and nice, and
curious, all of the kinds of personalities children see in
themselves and others. The stories in Sparkle and Shine are
designed to
intrigue children as much as they are to teach them. Sparkle
the Firefly
and her friends at Pondering Pond help each other learn, solve
problems,
and try new things--just like the children do.
But certain things
do make Sparkle and Shine really unique. First, there’s a
very strong emphasis on the social and emotional foundations for
learning.
We call it “using your head while
listening to your heart.” It’s really what we
mean by character education. If a child can manage his feelings,
pay attention,
and get along with peers, there’s a much better chance
that child will be able to learn new things. I had a kindergarten
teacher
tell me, “I can teach you your letters, numbers, and
shapes if you are socially competent.” So, a large
part of our emerging literacy program is dedicated to alliterative,
rhyming stories, movement
songs, and play-based activities that foster social-emotional
skills for school and for life. I have to confess that the
most successful
part of the program judging by the children’s response
is the music. They love the songs, the beat, the rhythm
and rhyme!
Our program
is unusually successful in embedding critical skills in
every one of our memorable songs.
4. How did Sparkle and Shine come
about Llynda? What experiences led you to create Sparkle
and her friends at the pond?
I saw a critical need for practical
and useful materials to support teachers in helping children
get ready for school
as
the More
at Four Coordinator for the western part of North Carolina.
It’s
the same need I recognized when I worked as a mentor
for Head Start in the areas of literacy and especially
in social
emotional development.
I know that all schools are stretching to meet the standards
of the “Leave
No Child Behind” act. Teachers need help getting
children ready for school. It is more important than
ever to give
teachers what
they want--practical, useful materials to meet these
guidelines. I know this because I used to be a classroom
teacher myself.
I believe it’s better to focus on prevention than
on catching up later.
I based Sparkle and Shine on the
extensive research on beginning literacy and social
and emotional education.
These areas
are the basis for encouraging long-term school success.
The skills
addressed
in this program adhere to Federal, state, and quality
care guidelines recognized nationally as best practice
in early
childhood education.
Plus, we made it engaging, easy to
use, memorable, fun and ready to be blended into the daily lesson
plan.
5. Llynda, you have a very creative approach
to early education. Why do you think this approach works?
I passionately
believe in the power of stories, pretending to be the characters,
singing and dancing and having fun
as the
most
effective tools for children’s learning! I created
Sparkle Firefly and her many friends at Pondering Pond
to give children a magical way
to learn new things and get along in play. I believe
that each child learns differently and has different
strengths
and needs so it was
important to address different learning styles, different
personalities, and different abilities in the Sparkle
and Shine materials. Learning
new things with Sparkle and friends includes being
engaged in storytelling, singing, dancing, pretending,
creating,
listening, pondering, playing
in sand and water, cooking, sharing or making an art
project. I believe if you see it, say it, hear it,
and do it, then
you’ll know
it!
Although the Sparkle and Shine materials
are purposefully entertaining, they are educational at the core.
We
started with educationally
sound readiness skills and found a sparkling way
to help each child shine.
6. Do you have any evidence that Sparkle
and shine works for children, parents, teachers, and schools?
The
entire Sparkle and Shine School Readiness Program has been
proven effective in over 5,000 settings. Our
research
shows
that the materials
have been successfully used with children by teachers,
parents, librarians, and community early education
support personnel
in both rural and
urban environments. Most of all, it’s the
children who tell us that this works!
7. What’s next with
Sparkle and her friends at the Pond? I know you’re
too creative to stop now.
I’m proud to say that
Sparkle and Shine Sing-Along Songs, the Teacher -Parent
Guide and the children’s activity book have
already been translated into Spanish. Other materials
will be available in Spanish soon.
In response to
requests by many teachers and caregivers, we are
developing pretend play character props, games,
flannel boards,
and puppets.
This year we will bring Sparkle and her friends at
Pondering Pond to life through a series of illustrated
story books.
These
darling
books, illustrated by Judy Bicking, will be accompanied
by audio stories and suggestions of activities to
do together to help
each child Sparkle and Shine. And I have other ideas
that are bubbling
around up here. I’m still having fun.
Thank
you, Llynda. As the parent of two pre-schoolers,
I am really looking forward to your next projects!
|
