A Question about the Spark Station from a Reader

by Mary Ann on September 5, 2013

Dear Mary Ann,

I have 1 more question about the spark system. I know it is not supposed to be complicated, but I just want to make it as you would do it. So if I understand well, I receive your package (Rockin Spark Station Idea Packet) (for example) study it and choose what I want to do right? Then, I prepare the stuff and put everything together in a basket. Then, at the day planned to be the spark system day, I show the basket to the kids.

Here is my question:

Do I teach them something or I wait for them to ask questions? Do I lead them to do a specific experience or activity (as suggested in your PDF) or I let them do whatever they imagine with the stuff I put into the basket?

Thanks a lot!!!!!

Melanie

Hi Melanie,

Great question! In order to answer it we will need to return to some of the basic concepts of the Spark Station.

Being PRESENT counts!!

The Spark Station is a space that is only available at certain times and the parent is always present. (It can be a basket, drawer,cupboard, rubber container, shelf, etc.) It is designed to give your child a number of play and learning options to choose from. The learning here is generally child directed depending on the age of the child. They choose what they would like to engage in. Your input is accomplished by what you choose to put into the Spark Station.

The keys to making it all work are:

1. Structure some time for the Spark Station and then be consistent in using it.

2. Stay PRESENT with your children for whatever amount of time you have allotted to your Spark Station.

3. Make it special by only using the Spark Station only at specified times when you are available and present.

4. Keep it simple. The contents aren’t as important as you being with your children. Keep the contents manageable and they will stay magical.

5. Do some regular planning. Spend time observing your children. What are they interested in? What could you put into the Spark Station that would be exciting to them? Do this thinking and planning as you live your regular life.

What is in the Spark Station:

The possibilities are endless.

In the Spark Station you will have some items that remain static for weeks or months at a time. These can include things like dress ups, magnets, an old typewriter, blocks, play dough, microscope, magnifying glass, etc. These items are changed out as you see that they are being used less. They usually return again in a few months.

These static items are joined by projects and books that compliment what you are doing in any curriculum you have chosen or if you are using the Rockin Spark Station packets. You will also add things that your children have expressed current interest in.

For example my daughter has chosen to use a Science curriculum this year. She teaches out of that particular

Magnification FUN!

curriculum once a month for a week. During that week, as well as the following week, there will be activities, games, field trip coupons, etc that extend what was taught in the science curriculum.

When we are using one of the Rockin Spark Station Packets we pick activities, games and crafts that interest the children and put those in the Spark station.

We watch the children to see what they are interested in. When Jack was in love with elephants we had crafts and books on elephants in the Spark station.

To summarize:

Remember the Five key rules.

In your Spark Station have some static play and learning items.

You may have activities and crafts to compliment a curriculum you are using.

You may choose some ideas and activities from any of the Rockin Spark Station Packets.

You will always have items and books on things that your children are currently interested in.

Do I teach them something or do I wait for them to ask questions?

Sparks Lead to Joy

It is important to remember that the Spark Station is a time when children are free to choose what they want to engage with. So generally you do not choose for them. (There is a note below about very young children) Your input comes through what you put into the Spark Station.

If you are using a Rockin Spark Station Packets remember that you can let your children who can read help you choose the activities that appeal to them most right no. If they cannot read then you choose what you want to use out of the packet.

You can have a mom’s choice day. The Traveling Spark Station was all about grandma choosing what we were going to learn that day. I would pick the topic and then I had 3-4 different options they could do. There would be a book, a craft, maybe a food to make and possibly a walk or short field trip. The children LOVED it. But it happened once a week. The rest of the week when it was time for the Spark Station it was opened and they could choose what to do.

The ages of children do make a difference in how you use the Spark Station. When all of the children are under 7 it is sometimes necessary to all do the same thing at the same time. These ages are not usually very well equipped to each choose something different and manage without help. So in the case of my daughter, for example, they have “It’s Kid of the Day”. That child gets to decide what activity in the Spark Station they will do on their day.

When you open the Spark Station let the children look at what is there. If they are small help them choose something. Give directions because that is what small children need. Read to them; help with a project, play.

With older children let them get something out. Let them look it over. They may ask, “What is this for or what do we do with this”. Give a short and to the point answer and then wait until they ask something else. If they don’t ask for help, don’t give it. They may have a few disasters but this helps them learn to ask for help and to read directions. Help everyone stay safe!

To summarize:

Remember the Five key rules.

In your Spark Station have some static play and learning items.

You may have activities and crafts to compliment a curriculum you are using.

You may choose some ideas and activities from any of the Rockin Spark Station Packets.

You will always have items and books on things that your children are currently interested in.

Your children choose to engage with what appeals to them most.

You can have a mom’s choice day where you choose and you teach.

You may have to have only one activity chosen per day depending on the ages of your children and your family’s circumstances.

Let older children explore on their own and ask questions or for help when they need it.

What if you have a baby or a toddler?

Small children do grow up! Be patient.

If you have a child under 2 then that adds some complication to the mix. They do get in the way. They do tear things and grab at things and scream when they can’t have what they want. It can be distressing to try and do projects with your other children when you have a toddler or baby on board. Just remember that babies and toddlers grow up and it will get easier!

What if today was a disaster?

You may have a wonderful activity that just fits in with something that you are learning about in your family and your child may decide to play dress ups or color instead. Don’t get discouraged because they may choose to do the activity tomorrow. The idea here is to inspire but not require that they engage with any specific thing.

I have been helping my daughter with her Spark Station. They are learning what science is and what a scientist does. They are also learning about the creation and that Heavenly Father is a scientist. So I put a number of activities in the Spark Station that would extend this learning. Yesterday they were so excited to make an earth out of Rice Krispy treats. A really cool project.

Jack who is five.

Today Jack, who is 5, said the Spark Station was boring and walked away. That’s how it goes. Some days are a hit and some aren’t.

It won’t really matter to you if you remember one key thing – the Spark station is a great learning tool but its main objective is to help mom’s and dad be PRESENT with their kids and connect in a meaningful way. So if no one wants to engage with anything in the Spark Station today or if your kids are falling apart or if you are… sit down and read to your kids or take a nap! : )

Every Family is Different. Don’t be afraid to re-tool!

As you can see, even though there are specific rules for the Spark Station, they will be implemented in different ways by different families. If something isn’t working step back, take a good look at it and see how you can adjust it so it works better.

Let me share a real life example of what I mean.

My daughter Jodie has four small children ages 7, 5, 3, and 18 months. The seven year old has severe cerebral palsy.

Jodie’s family

Jack, who is five, is out of his mind wanting to go to “real” kindergarten. After many conversations about why he wants to go to public school it became clear – he wants a teacher and he doesn’t want it to be his mom, period!

As I mentioned, I helped put their Spark Station together. I picked some great static items: sewing cards, a bin of color books and new crayons, magnets, sugar shaker and toothpicks (very cool to drop the toothpicks through the shaker holes), dry erase boards, games and books, colored pencils and note books.

Then there were a half dozen special projects to go with what they are learning in their science curriculum: a home made book to color, great books about scientists and science from the library, a mobile to make, and a related baking project.

On Monday evening for a family activity, not connected to the Spark Station, Jodie, on the sly, took out a project to make earth spheres out of rice Krispy treats. The kids LOVED it! A huge hit and very fun, as well as tasty. They talked about how the earth was created and how scientists learn more and more about it. Jack was all over that information.

On Tuesday they had their first official day of “school”. Because they are so young and Maggie needs so much help, their school is the Spark Station. When school begins the Spark Station is opened and they are free to explore the contents for however long the attention span lasts. This can be from 20 minutes to a couple of hours.

Now remember that Jack has insisted on going to “real kindergarten” for a couple of months and that he is determined that his mom is not his “real teacher”. They gathered in the school room and the Spark Station was opened with all of its great contents. Jack took one look, realized that this was school and said, “Mom, your school is boring! I’m going to cancel your school.” That was it, he wasn’t going to participate at all. It was downhill from there. Jodie reported to me later that it was a disaster of a day.

So she looked at the situation and re-tooled. Today, Wednesday, she took all of the special projects out of the Spark Station. No “real school” here. When the spark station was opened the little kids got all excited about the static items they found and started playing. Jack said, “Mom I want to learn about knives.”

So Jodie got a few knives, a tomato and some potatoes. They spent the next while learning about serration, sharp edges, the value of knives, how they are used. etc. She also held up each knife and asked the children what they “observed”. They learned that that is how scientists learn about things, they observe and ask questions. This was the topic of the first science lesson: observation. Fabulous day. Sneaky mom!! The other great projects will be used in family activities, not in school. Oh yes, she does have some ideas up her sleeve to get Jack his “not a mom” teacher. Yup, it is me. I will have Jack’s Kindergarten twice a week for 30 minutes or so until his feelings shift.

When you think about using the Spark Station just start somewhere. Then do not get discouraged if it doesn’t work out exactly as I have laid it out. Just carefully look at your situation and then re-tool.

Remember that over my years of experience and the experience of many parents what you learn is that the contents don’t matter as much as your presence and if today is terrible, tomorrow will be better.

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“It Is Rocket Science” by Kerry Paterson or How to Help Kids Learn!

by Mary Ann on July 21, 2013

I have been taking a rest. You have probably noticed. In fact, I may “rest” the remainder of the year. : ) However, I do want to occasionally bring you something worth reading while I am resting. I have mentioned before that one of my favorite writers is Kerry Patterson. Here is a beautiful article on the parent or teacher’s job of establishing an environment where their charges can learn and grow (even experiment) without fear of being in trouble. You are going to love this!

Kerry Patterson

“It Is Rocket Science” by Kerry Patterson

“When I woke up that bright and sunny morning, I never suspected that I’d burn down my bedroom. But some days just don’t go as planned.

It was a Sunday morning and this meant that later that evening the entire Patterson clan would plop down in front of their fifteen-inch black-and-white DuMont TV and worship at the altar of the Ed Sullivan Theater. For those of us living at the far edge of the U.S.—and at the far corner of Puget Sound to boot—Ed Sullivan provided a lifeline to the bigger world of hip happenings and top-notch entertainment. Who knew what menagerie of singers, dancers, acrobats, and comedians Mr. Sullivan would bring us! Would it be Elvis or even the Beatles? Surely the ventriloquist Señor Wences or the puppet Topo Gigio would grace the stage. It was Sunday, it was sunny, and all was well.

And then came the bomb. Mom sat me down and explained that she and Dad would be attending a volunteer meeting that evening and that I’d have to chaperone in their stead. Chaperone? I was a fourteen-year-old kid. Whom was I supposed to chaperone?

It turns out that a friend’s daughter, who was attending the local college, wanted to buy her first life insurance policy, and Mom had volunteered our living room for the sales presentation. Unfortunately, since Mom and Dad would be gone, I’d have to hang around. Without my dampening presence, who knows what lecherous shenanigans the insurance agent might attempt? And, as if listening to an insurance salesman wasn’t going to be bad enough, the meeting was to take place during the sacred time slot of the Ed Sullivan show!

When the appointed hour finally rolled around, I squirmed impatiently while the insurance fellow yammered on about “contingencies” and “risk aversion” until I could take it no longer. With one swift move, I slipped unnoticed into my bedroom adjacent to the living room. This put me out of range of the insurance talk, but left me with nothing to do. After carefully studying the skin on my elbow for a couple of minutes, it hit me. Under my desk was a large bowl of rocket fuel I had recently concocted and set aside. Now would be the perfect time to turn it from a dry powder into a solid mass by melting it down and then letting it solidify.

I had never performed this operation before, nor did I have the necessary equipment on hand, but I had heard that transforming the powdered fuel into a solid block gave it more stability. I quickly fashioned a Bunsen burner out of materials I found in the bathroom. A Vaseline lid, a wad of cotton, and a couple of jiggers of my dad’s aftershave lotion—and voila! I was ready to cook. Next, I poured a generous portion of the fuel into a Pioneer chemical container that consisted of a cardboard tube with a flat metal bottom and a pop-out metal top. The cardboard would provide me with a safe place to grip the container, while the metal bottom would take the flame and melt the fuel.

Within minutes, I gingerly held the jury-rigged beaker above the Aqua Velva flame and was merrily melting the powder. Sure, I’d be missing Ed Sullivan’s guest star, Richard Burton, as he performed a number from Camelot, but I was advancing science. What could be more important?

Then, with no warning whatsoever, the powder hit its ignition point and burst into a frightening torrent of smoke and flames, scorching the wallpaper above my desk and burning a hole in the ten-foot ceiling. I couldn’t drop the blazing tube or it would have careened around the room and set the drapes and other flammables on fire. So I gritted my teeth and held the flame-spitting cylinder firmly through its entire burn. For a full minute, the fiery tube charred the wall and ceiling while dropping blazing bits of debris on my arms and legs—burning holes in my shirt and pants and leaving behind pea-sized scars.

The rest is a blur. When it was finally safe to set the container down I bolted from my bedroom and threw open the front door to vent the house. A fire truck loaded with highly animated fire fighters rolled into our driveway and it wasn’t long until several of them were screaming at me for being so stupid as to—well, cook rocket fuel in my bedroom. Apparently, not being able to swing their axes or shoot a single drop of water into our home had really ticked them off. One angrily threw open the parlor windows when I asked him what I could do to get rid of the smoke. Another glumly stared at my bedroom and shook his head while muttering, “Boy, are you going to get it when your folks come home!”

And then my folks came home. As the fire crew backed out of our driveway and the insurance salesman and frightened college girl bolted from the scene, Mom and Dad slowly approached. Watching a fire crew pull away from your home is never a good sign when you’re the parent of a teenage boy; however, it did give my folks a hint as to what lay ahead. As the two walked stoically into my bedroom and surveyed the damage, Mom stated, “You realize, of course, that you’re going to have to set this right.” I did. I paid for the repairs out of my college savings.

And then, Mom said something that was so quintessential “Mom” that I’ve never forgotten it: “What did you learn from this adventure?” Most parents, when faced with the smoldering shell of a bedroom would have grounded their careless son through social security. Or maybe they would have hurled threats, pulled out their hair, or perhaps guilt-tripped their soon-to-be-jailed juvenile delinquent into years of therapy. But Mom simply wanted to know what I had learned from the incident. It wasn’t a trick on her part; it was how Mom treated debacles. For her, every calamity was a learning opportunity, every mishap a chance to glean one more morsel of truth from the infinitely instructive universe.

So I talked to Mom and Dad about ignition points, research design, precautions, and adult supervision. I meant most of what I said. I even followed my own advice and avoided catching any more rooms on fire. In fact, save for one minor screw-up a few months later during a routine rocket test where I accidentally blew off my eyebrows (leading to an embarrassing few days where I was forced to darken my remaining forehead hairs with eyebrow pencil—not cool for a guy in high school), I averted further disasters of all types.

But what I didn’t avert was the bigger message. Mom wanted me and my brother to be full-time learners—ambulant scholars if you like. It was her central mission in life to turn us into responsible adults who learned at every turn. While the masses might bump into the world, take the occasional licking, and then endlessly complain, she wanted us to bounce back with the question: What does this teach us? While others carped about effects, she wanted us to find the causes. Our classroom was to extend beyond the halls of academia and down any path our journey took us—even into the occasional charred bedroom.

The implication of this message to parents and leaders alike is profound. It’s the adult’s or leader’s job to establish an environment where their charges can learn and grow (even experiment) without fear of being grounded through social security. This isn’t to suggest that either the home or the corporate learning environment should allow individuals to run about willy-nilly—heating up rocket fuel without a single thought as to what might go wrong. I had been irresponsible, and I was held accountable. But I had also been experimenting with rocket science, and Mom didn’t want to stifle this part of me. She wanted me to experiment, and this called for calculated risks. She saw it as her job to teach me how to make the calculations, not to set aside my test tubes and chemicals.

So let’s take our lead from the ambulant scholar. Should our best-laid plans run afoul, may we have the wisdom to pause, take a deep breath, and ask: What did we learn from this?

The above article was first published on May 21, 2008.

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Just Do It!

by Mary Ann on April 23, 2013

Maggie doing her family work.

What does just do it look like?

There are some real advantages to having a family of six move in with you, especially if they have four children six and under. I have gotten a birds eye view reminder of what it is REALLY like to parent and home educate. I have been thinking back to my own days and this has really brought back memories, some good and some bad.

Today was just a particularly interesting and REAL day and I just had to share. It was an example of what “just do it” means in a family.

I heard the children at about 6:30 but I didn’t get up until after 7:00. It was quiet in the living room with Jodie busily working on her computer while children watched a movie around her. That is how Jodie gets her own devotional and study time in from 6:30 to 8:00, the movie is essential. We all know that watching a movie isn’t the best way to occupy children but, well, you do what you can, right.

Breakfast happens in shifts as each child awakes. It takes about an hour to feed Maggie, the six year old with CP, and so Jodie often does that while she reads her scriptures or does her planning for the day on the computer. If all goes well, and today it did, everyone is happy, it feels peaceful and all are fed by 8:00 or so. I might mention here that sometimes one or more child has two breakfasts because by the time the first wakes up till the last wakes up, or Jodie has time to get food to each one, a number of hours can go by. By then early risers are ready for breakfast two. In fact, I had forgotten how often you have to stop and get food for someone in this age group! No matter how your morning goes as you move towards structured family learning time you just have to keep doing it.

On mornings where it all doesn’t go as smoothly as today it might be 10:00 before everyone is fed and dressed. Those are the noisy and sometimes exhausting mornings. You just have to keep smiling, hugging and remembering that this to will pass.

Just do it happens even when its not perfect!

Then it’s getting all the littles changed and dressed. This is less peaceful and usually goes a bit less smoothly. : ); you know how it is. One doesn’t like what you have given them to wear, another doesn’t want their diaper changed, a third won’t hold still long enough to get dressed and all the while Maggie is asking for her Ipad in a loud and “where are you” squeal.

Then it was family devotional. Quiet reverence is not the standard here. There is family singing with one voice, mom’s. There is a lot of sit down, fold your arms, can you listen please and sighing…on mom’s part. As I watch and sometimes participate, I sometimes think that I would just bag it and move on. Mom is a stalwart for sure.

By about 10:15 today all the aforementioned was finally accomplished, mom had showered and dressed and it was time for family work. (How she got a shower in there I am not quite sure!) Family work is never called chores. It isn’t a chore to do your part in your family. Chores are saved for consequences when you forget to do as asked in a pleasant way, which on some days can be often! : )

Family chores are one way that Jodie and Doug help their children gain confidence and pride in their abilities. I saw Jodie pull about 6-8 folded dishcloths out of the drawer, unfold them and give them to Jack to fold. (He didn’t see her unfold them.) This happened because there wasn’t any clean laundry to fold. It wasn’t that there wasn’t any laundry; it was just all still dirty. Often laundry takes a back seat to what really matters.

Jack folding dish towels.

Mary was assigned to empty waste baskets.

Mary emptying garbage

Benny carried his little broom around copying the bigs in his life.

Benny copying the “bigs”.

Maggie swept and vacuumed and she loves helping. It will always be a special treat to her because it is never mundane.

Maggie sweeping.

After family work it was “family structured time”. Today they read the classic they are working on “Raggedy Ann and Andy”.

Reading Raggedy Ann in structured family time.

Then it was helping Maggie play ball. Jack is a great big brother.

Jack helping Maggie play ball.

A few weeks ago I was talking about hedge hogs to the kids. We looked at pictures and videos on line and they were so taken with them. Today Jack asked to make a hedgehog, out of the blue! You can see here that he has a very creative mom, just stuff out of the odds and ends box. She didn’t wait to make a better plan (for a more real looking hedgehog) but just used what she had.

Potato Hedgehogs

I want you to know that I am really mad at myself for not taking a picture of the kitchen table when they started their hedgehog project. It was a disaster. Most of what we used for dinner was still there from last night. I am sorry to have to confess that, but there it is. Jodie did what any great mom would do. She pushed it out of the way and carried on.

And here in a borrowed home, in cramped quarters, that was all of it, all there was to “kid school”. There are thoughts in both our minds, mine and Jodie’s, about what a successful home education and family together day ought to look like. This is what it looks like for now.

Instead of requiring everything to be “just right” before you move forward, decide instead to “just do it!” It’s progress not perfection that gets the job done.

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Creative Thinking – More out of the box ideas

by Mary Ann on April 19, 2013

I probably relate because I am always wishing I had a recipe holder!!

Today I used creative thinking!!

Today I plugged my vacuum into the same old socket, with the same old result…it didn’t hold tight. As I was looking at it I remembered that I didn’t have to use this same old plug or I could use Jodie’s creative thinking trick to get it to perform better. I made the change and voila, stress free vacuuming.

This is perfect if you don’t like washing dishes!

It is a wonderful thing to come up with a new way to solve old problems. It is wonderful to put on our creative thinking cap and come up with something totally new. Today’s article is not serious!! It is strictly for fun. After I wrote the blog “Stop In the Box Thinking” I saw these ideas and I just can’t help myself, I have to share them with you as a celebration of thinking out of the box as often as we can. Enjoy!!

Brilliant!!

Creative thinking in the kitchen

I thought this was totally brilliant. I cook with kids all the time and I can tell you that making pancakes can be really messy!! My little gandkids would love this. Then we would only have to learn how to flip and keep it in the pan. : )

creative thinking I have been using this trick for over forty years. I have used it in my cake decorating and gingerbread making forever. It works!! Love that dental floss or thread.

I raised seven children in Montana. I was the queen of canning and that is no joke! The last year that I canned I did well over 1300 quarts. Wish I had done a bit of out of the box thinking then because canning corn is totally MESSY! This is such a fun idea and I bet it would have made my boys really happy to help.

This one is for my husband who wants to buy every gadget he sees at the fair, including the special taco shell maker. This will really save my kitchen from one more addition. Sorry honey!

taco shells

Creative thinking for pure joy

I saved this for last because it will thrill some of you. I, myself, NEVER eat Oreo’s but for those of you who do and like keeping your fingers clean – this one’s for you.

oreos

Have a wonderful summer of thinking out of the box. If we practice on little things like outlets and Oreo’s then we will do better when the stakes are high, as in our relationships with our children.

A Question about the Spark Station from a Reader

Every Family is Different. Don’t be afraid to re-tool!

If you like this post, please share it with your community by using one of the social share buttons.

“It Is Rocket Science” by Kerry Paterson or How to Help Kids Learn!

“It Is Rocket Science” by Kerry Patterson

Just Do It!

What does just do it look like?

Just do it happens even when its not perfect!

Instead of requiring everything to be “just right” before you move forward, decide instead to “just do it!” It’s progress not perfection that gets the job done.

Creative Thinking – More out of the box ideas

Today I used creative thinking!!

Creative thinking in the kitchen

Creative thinking for pure joy

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