The Spark journal · Consulting & Leadership
Early childhood consulting, in practice.
What the work can include, how an engagement takes shape, and what to ask before you begin.
Start with your team’s question.
A consultant brings an outside perspective and relevant expertise to a goal you define together.
That might mean refining a curriculum, strengthening inclusive practice, supporting staff or planning a new preschool. The useful starting point is specific: what would you like to understand or change?
Explore the kinds of support
Dr. Michelle Peterson’s practice includes nine services:
- NDBI implementation training
- Developmental playroom design
- Inclusive classroom strategies
- Peer engagement intervention design
- Staff training on evidence-based play
- Improvement science and cycles of inquiry
- Program evaluation and observation
- Preschool startup consulting
- Speaking engagements and workshops
A conversation becomes a working plan.
The scope determines which stages you need and how much support each involves.
Understand the context.
Share your program’s strengths, concerns, goals and constraints. Make space for the people who will put changes into practice.
Look at the everyday work.
Agree on what to review: classroom routines, learning environments, curriculum or team processes. Set expectations for access and privacy.
Choose useful next steps.
Connect observations with your goals. Define a manageable set of recommendations, deliverables and signs of progress.
Support the change.
The plan may include training, modeling, coaching or design work. Clarify who does what and what your team needs to sustain it.
Learn from what happens.
Agree on follow-up, review the evidence and adjust. The timeline should reflect your scope and capacity.
Choose a partner who fits the work.
Relevant experience, a clear scope and a thoughtful conversation matter.
Questions for an initial conversation
- What experience relates to our particular goal?
- How will you learn about our program before recommending changes?
- What would the deliverables and timeline look like?
- How will our staff and leadership be involved?
- How will we judge progress and plan follow-up?
- What is included in the fee, and what is outside the scope?
How consulting relates to other roles
Training, coaching and consulting can overlap. A workshop develops knowledge; coaching supports practice; consulting may combine these with program-level analysis and planning. The actual scope matters more than the title.
Licensing and quality-review bodies have their own requirements and authority. Consulting does not replace their decisions or guarantee an approval or rating.
Research, connected to daily practice.
Dr. Michelle Peterson, Ed.D., founded and operates Spark Academy. Her consulting connects early childhood research, educational leadership and the practical work of building a purposeful learning environment.
Explore her background, the Purposeful Play Framework or the article on connecting play with state standards.
Before you begin.
How much does consulting cost?
Dr. Peterson uses day-rate pricing with a proposal tailored to your goals. Discuss the scope, deliverables, follow-up and any additional costs before deciding. There is no single fee that fits every engagement.
Is a consultant the same as a licensing inspector?
No. A consultant provides agreed support and recommendations. Licensing decisions remain with the responsible authority; a consulting engagement does not confer approval.
How do we know whether support would help?
Identify the question you are trying to resolve, the expertise your team already has and where an outside perspective could be useful. You can discuss curriculum, staff development, inclusive practice or a new program without committing to a broad engagement.
Which credentials should we look for?
Look for relevant education, professional experience and expertise matched to the task. Ask how recommendations will be supported, what the consultant has implemented and where another specialist may be needed.
Can consulting support a new preschool?
Yes. Dr. Peterson offers startup consulting that can address program planning, curriculum, staffing and learning environments. Agree on the scope and coordinate with the appropriate licensing, legal, financial or building professionals as needed.
Make room for your next step.
Talk with Dr. Michelle Peterson about your team’s goals.