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Connecticut

How Can we Help Every Child Get a Strong Start?

A new CT tool to promote healthy early development

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Big Picture Goal

empowers parents and caregivers as first teachers and helps systems serve families better, together.

Today: Help YOU learn the basics so you can get started with Sparkler and share it with the families you serve.

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Why Focus on Early Childhood?

Brains grow over time.
Brain architecture starts before birth and continues into adulthood; it’s affected by genes and experiences.
In the first few years of life, more than 1 million new neural connections form every second!
Parents and caregivers shape children’s early experiences which can have positive, long-term impacts on their development.

Source: Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, Brain Architecture

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COVID-19: New Early Learning Needs

Covid-19 has put additional stress on families with young children, affecting children’s wellness and early development.

More than ever, families need:

Access to high-quality, science-based information to support their children’s healthy early development.
Support from people who can answer questions and offer help.

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A Tool for All CT Families With 0-5 Year Olds

On Oct. 21, 2021 OEC — in collaboration with partners at DPH, DCF, and SDE — announced that Sparkler is now available to all CT families with children 0-5 years old and to programs serving those families.

Read the press release.

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A Network of Support for CT Families

Sparkler Learning

(Office of Early Childhood)

211 Child Development

(Formerly “CDI,” United Way of CT / 2-1-1)

Birth to Three,

IDEA Part C

(Office of Early Childhood)

CT Help Me Grow

(Office of Early Childhood)

CT State Department of Education (Early Childhood Special Education)

You can access screening, evaluation, and support through all of these organizations! Sparkler is a new tool to help your families access mobile developmental screening and ongoing activities to promote wellness and healthy early development for children 0-5.

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Today We’ll Talk About Sparkler

For families, Sparkler is a mobile app, in English, Spanish, and Chinese, on Android/iOS. Parents get:

Developmental screening (ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2) to check in on their child’s development.
A library of about 2,000 playful activities created by early childhood educators to help parents and children play together off screen to promote learning.
Connection with professionals — 211 Child Development or other professionals.

Schools/providers can use the mobile app to see what families see or sign into the Sparkler Dashboard to monitor and engage with families.

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How to Help Families Sign Up for Sparkler

Here’s how CT parents can sign up for Sparkler:

Download the app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
Tap “Create a New Account”
In the first screen, type in YOUR school/program’s access code (or CT for general Connecticut) so they can link with you!
Share email address, create password
Set up parent’s account
Create a profile for their 0-5 year old child

Families can move themselves to different cohorts in settings / my account (directions in FAQ)

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Follow Along to Learn How to Use the App:

Sparkler Makes Screening More Accessible

Families can visit KNOW to find the mobile Ages and Stages Questionnaires® — both ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2.

ASQ helps educators, doctors, and families understand children’s strengths, set goals, and access support.

Ages & Stages Questionnaires® and ASQ® are registered trademarks of Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc.

Know

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Sparkler’s Developmental Screening Functionality

Welcome Screen

What to Expect

Section Intro

Different types of multiple choice and free response questions

Sparkler provides developmental screening (the ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2) to families via smartphone or tablet. The following show screenshots from the live app.

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Mobile ASQ-3, Continued

Congrats screen at end of each section

Ability to navigate around the sections

At the end, user agrees to finish and submit

Thank you at the end and link to play/learning activities

Screenshot from current Sparkler mobile app

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Sparkler’s Developmental Screening Functionality

Find the ASQs at the top!

Welcome screen

Answer Questions

Thank you!

Sparkler provides developmental screening (the ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2) to families via smartphone or tablet. The following show screenshots from the live app.

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Play: Spark Healthy Early Development Together!

Families can visit PLAY to swipe through a library of play-based learning activities to find an activity that sparks their interest or is focused on a skill they want to help their child develop.

Play

https://playsparkler.org

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Play: Spark Healthy Early Development Together!

Simple “recipe” for play

Tips (vocab, stretch, simplify, etc.)

Feedback: Did the child like it?

Feedback:

Was the level right?

Feedback: Free Response

Congrats screen

https://playsparkler.org

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As Families Play, Sparkler Shows Progress!

As parents and children play, Sparkler helps visualize their accomplishments: How have they grown their child’s heart, mind, body, and words?

Click on the icons to find more activities in each.

https://playsparkler.org

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Grow: Remember How Your Child Has Grown

When families take pictures and add feedback they add to their scrapbook — in the GROW tab of Sparkler.

Grow

https://playsparkler.org

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Learn The Signs Act Early and Other Parent Tips

Sparkler also has a library of tips for parents — with simple actionable steps they can use to help their children! This includes summaries of the Learn the Signs milestones.

https://playsparkler.org

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Two-way Coaching and Advice to Connect with Families

Sparkler messages can engage families.

Parents get nudges about activities, screenings, and important reminders
Parents can get answers from 211 Child Development care coordinators or their programs/providers
Members of a child’s team (e.g., mom and grandma) can send notes to each other via Sparkler

Connect

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When a Family Takes the ASQ on Sparkler

Family

1.

Family submits ASQ

2.

Scores are immediately calculated, creating a family-facing report and sending data to ASQ Online

3.

211 Child Development and the family’s school/provider see completed ASQ

4.

211 Child Development or the school/provider reaches out to Family to share and discuss screening results

5.

Family accesses support OR keeps playing/learning together using Sparkler

School/ Provider

https://playsparkler.org

When a family completes an ASQ and presses “Submit,” Sparkler automatically scores the ASQ. The results go to the ASQ online system at 211 Child Development, AND to your program’s Sparkler Dashboard, where you can see that one of your families completed an ASQ.

The Sparkler coach will send the family a message through Sparkler that the results have been received. The content of this message will depend on the score, as well as who is taking the lead with the families.

If your program is in the lead with the families, 211 Child Development sends the family a coaching message to let them know that their provider will reach out to share the results. 211 Child Development also sends an e-mail to you to let you know that one of your families has completed an ASQ. At that point, you can sign into your Sparkler Dashboard and download the family-facing report to share with the family and use as a basis for conversation.

If 211 Child Development is in the lead, they do the following:

All domains score on track - a message lets the family know that the child is doing well in all areas of growth and development and will be notified when the next ASQ is due.
One domain scores within monitor - a message shares the area the child could use extra attention and provides play activities in Sparkler that can be used to support the child’s development within that domain.
Two domains score within monitor or one or more domains score within refer - a message introduces the family to 211 Child Development and lets them know that a care coordinator will be reaching out to discuss the results.

When a care coordinator reaches out to the family, we share the areas that the child is developing on track and then focus on the areas that scored within monitor or refer. We will review the questions with the family again, so we can ensure the family understood what the question was asking, see if the family tried the activity with the child, and/or see if any skills have progressed since the questionnaire was completed. If scores change and the parent does not have any concerns, we can provide activities that will continue to promote the child’s growth and development. Families can continue to use Sparkler to access play activities and parenting tips that will keep families learning together. If scores do not change and the parent has concerns AND is open to supports, we can connect families to programs, services, information and more.

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Goals of Sharing the ASQ Results

Strengthen communication and understanding with families
Develop shared understanding and plan of action to encourage personalized development of each child, including both school and home actions
Engage families in ongoing growth/development
If there are signs of significant delay, make a plan for specific follow-up / evaluation

https://playsparkler.org

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211 Child Development Can Help You!

211 Child Development is there to support YOU. Call 1-800-505-7000 to talk to a care coordinator to get resources and services you can share with the families you serve. Or access information through our website, cdi.211CT.org.

https://playsparkler.org

Even if you are in the lead with supporting your families, 211 Child Development is there to support you. Our care coordinators can share information on resources and supports, such as:

Help Me Grow for connections to community based services and supports including home visiting, parenting education programs, parent child activity programs, parent to parent supports, medical home initiative, behavioral health supports and services
Birth to 3 services for children under 3 with developmental delays
Early Child Special Education for children ages 3 to 5 with developmental delays
Other 211 services such as housing, basic needs, social service programs, crisis intervention, childcare, Care 4 Kids

Our care coordinators are available Monday through Friday 8 am to 6 pm. You can call our direct line at 1-800-505-7000 to speak with a care coordinator. If you would like more information on services you can access through 211 Child Development, please visit our our website at cdi.211ct.org.

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Family-Friendly ASQ Reports

When a parent submits their screening, reports are automatically generated. A family-friendly PDF is created and available to provider via dashboard for download, report also will be pushed to family’s app after meeting with provider. Results also generated in CSV (and other file formats are possible).

Scores/Visualization of Results

Suggested Activities and Upcoming Milestones

Question by Question Readout

https://playsparkler.org

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Main Dashboard view provides activity summary

Child view shows individual-level activity — screenings completed and other engagement

Screenshot from current Sparkler partner dashboard.

Understand the Dashboard

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Two-way Coaching and Advice to Connect with Families

You can use the dashboard to stay connected! Send messages back and forth with families!

Connect

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Facilitated Screening Available on the Dashboard

Sparkler enables teachers, school-based coaches, home visitors, or other providers to use a web-based dashboard to complete screenings of children.

https://playsparkler.org

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How You Can Share Sparkler With Families

Share Sparkler with YOUR CODE with families.

Distribute materials:

Handouts
Digital flyers
Videos

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THANK YOU!

Thanks for working with us to help all CT children get off to a strong start!

Get more information at https://playsparkler.org/connecticut or cdi.211CT.org

Questions: email support@playsparkler.org