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The Purposeful Play Framework

Play with purpose. Grow with confidence.

A whole-child approach designed by Dr. Michelle Peterson, Ed.D., built on Experience Early Learning. Thoughtfully chosen play helps your child grow in learning, friendship, movement, and creativity.

See it at Spark Discover how it works

Small moments. Real learning.

Build a tower.

Balance, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving grow with every block.

Tell a story.

Dramatic play gives children a reason to use language, share ideas, and see another point of view.

Sort a collection.

Noticing colors, shapes, and patterns becomes a foundation for mathematical thinking.

Their ideas lead the way.

The Developmental Playroom becomes a new world each month: an ocean, a rainforest, a place to imagine. Teachers choose the environment with care. Your child chooses what to explore, what to create, and who to play with.

Thirty minutes each day to practice creativity, collaboration, and independent thinking.

Nine worlds to explore this year
  • DinoLand
  • Ice Castle
  • Ocean Dive
  • Space & Sky
  • All About Me
  • Global Passport
  • Garden Treasures
  • Weather & Seasons
  • Explore the Rainforest

Each theme lasts approximately one month, connecting classroom learning and the playroom through shared ideas and materials.

A child exploring plants, stones, and water in the Developmental Playroom's nature pond
A small world, with so much to discover.

Room for every kind of learning.

A familiar rhythm, with time to think, imagine, move, and connect.

Academic Play
1.5–2.5 hours
Teacher-guided play shaped around your child's learning goals.
Developmental Playroom
30 minutes
Child-led discovery in a changing monthly environment.
Daily Enrichment
30 minutes
A different subject each weekday. All included in tuition.
Outdoor Play
15 minutes
Movement, fresh air, and room for physical play.
Snack & Transition
15 minutes
Community, self-care, and everyday independence.
Enrichment, day by day

Monday: Spanish. Tuesday: STEM. Wednesday: Art. Thursday: Communication. Friday: Music & Movement. Your child enjoys the subjects offered on their attendance days, with no extra fees or supply lists.

Academic Play is 1.5 hours in the 3's and 4's programs, and 2.5 hours in Kindergarten Prep and Kindergarten.

Find your child's program and schedule

One child. Their own path.

In classes of 10–12 with a 5:1 ratio, teachers notice where your child is ready for a challenge and where they need support. Ongoing assessment turns those observations into a learning plan that grows with them.

How we follow your child's progress

Experience Early Learning's formal developmental assessments cover cognitive, social-emotional, physical, and creative development. They inform daily planning throughout the year. You'll see daily photos and updates in Brightwheel and talk through formal assessments at parent-teacher conferences.

Connection before correction.

Behavior is communication. On a hard day, we look for the need or skill behind the behavior, help children name their feelings, and coach them through conflicts. Children are never shamed or labeled.

Meet the educator behind the framework

A few questions, answered.

What is the Purposeful Play Framework?
The Purposeful Play Framework is Spark Academy's proprietary, research-driven curriculum framework designed by Dr. Michelle Peterson, Ed.D. It combines the Experience Early Learning whole-child curriculum, formal developmental assessments that create individualized learning paths for every child, daily enrichment in five subjects (Spanish, STEM, Art, Communication, and Music & Movement), and a monthly-rotating Developmental Playroom. It's the approach that structures every part of your child's day at Spark.
Is this just play, or will my child learn academics?
Play and learning belong together. At Spark, hands-on activities give children opportunities to explore letters, numbers, language and scientific ideas with teacher support. Daily enrichment rotates through Spanish, STEM, Art, Communication, and Music & Movement; children join the subjects offered on their attendance days. Teachers support each child’s academic, social and emotional development through observation and responsive guidance.
How is the Purposeful Play Framework different from Montessori?
Montessori has its own philosophy, specialized materials and classroom practices. Spark’s Purposeful Play Framework builds on Experience Early Learning, with a changing Developmental Playroom, observation-based planning and daily enrichment. Both approaches can involve purposeful materials and close observation. Dr. Michelle Peterson, Ed.D. designed Spark’s framework for this school’s learning environment.
What assessment tools does Spark use?
Spark uses the formal assessment tools built into the Experience Early Learning curriculum. These research-based assessments help teachers understand each child's developmental position across all domains — cognitive, social-emotional, physical, and creative — and translate that data into individualized learning paths. Assessments are ongoing, not limited to annual benchmarks, so your child's learning plan adapts as they grow throughout the year.
What happens when my child has a behavior challenge?
At Spark, behavior is treated as communication. When a challenge arises, teachers ask: What is this child trying to communicate? What skill might be missing? And what support do they need right now? The approach is to teach the missing skill — not to punish the mistake. Children are coached through conflicts, helped to name their emotions, and supported with patience. Connection always comes before correction, and children are never shamed or labeled.
Is enrichment (Spanish, STEM, etc.) included in tuition?
Yes. All five daily enrichment subjects — Spanish, STEM, Art, Communication, and Music & Movement — are included in tuition at every program level. There are no add-on fees, no supply lists, and no hidden costs. Tuition at Spark is all-inclusive.

See purposeful play in action.

Come meet the teachers, explore the playroom, and see how a morning unfolds. Or ask us a question here—we'd love to talk.

Your information is private. We'll only use it to answer your question.

Schedule a Tour

Prefer to call? 309-291-3292We may be in the classroom. Leave a message and we'll call you back the same day.

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