SPARK Innovations sent me Set One of their Spark cards to review longer ago than I care to mention. In the words of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The time for action is now. It's never too late. I was paid for my opinion.
SPARK stands for Sentence Formation and Predicting, Answering Questions, Retelling Skills, and Knowledge of Basic Concepts. Using their acronym SPARK represents:
S – Sequencing
P – Problem Solving
A – Analyzing situations
R – Reasoning
K – Kool
The cards are of high quality and are beautifully illustrated in a style that is appropriate for a wide range of ages. The cards are recommended for 3+.. The cards are designed with 6 sequencing cards, but the stories can be reduced to 3 or 4 cards for a more simplistic story. SPARK cards are a great tool especially for older kids, ages 10 and up.
The detailed picture scenes make them perfect for sequencing, storytelling, making inferences/predictions, and problem-solving. Each sequence of cards includes one or two problems that the child can identify, describe, and solve. To guide the conversation, questions are provided on the back of the cards. The scenes provide countless opportunities to expand vocabulary and discuss sentence formulation – nouns, verbs, verb tenses, pronouns, adjectives, and prepositions.
This first edition of these SPARK cards comes with 8 sequencing card sets of the following topics:
Going to the library
Preparing for a hurricane
Setting up a lemonade stand
Going to the vet
Playing football
Setting the table
Going to the beach
Planting flowers
SPARK cards are engaging in therapy and encourage parents to use them to extend their learning at home.