School Readiness Program at Sparkles Kochi
A Path for Every Stage of Growth
At Sparkles, we understand that every child develops at their own pace. Our School Readiness Program is uniquely crafted for kids who need the extra support and care during their initial developmental years.
This program supports children across three age categories (3.5 to 9.5 years), each tailored to attend to the specific developmental needs of each category. It offers a nourishing blend of therapeutic support, pre-academic/academic learning, and activities of daily living (ADL) (daily living skills such as eating, dressing, toileting, following routines and more) to ensure each child is ready for mainstream school in the most holistic way.
Every aspect of this program is designed by Ms.Minna Mathew, RCI recognized Clinical Psychologist, who has been working with children for over 17 years. Her deep commitment to ensure children have equal opportunities for education and life ahead has made her meticulously plan every small detail of this unique program.
What Makes Our School Readiness Program Unique
- Age-appropriate grouping for structured support (3.5 to 9.5 years)
- Therapy blended with daily learning for faster and lasting development
- Focus on real-life skills like communication, brushing, eating, dressing, toileting, and following routines
- Safe, structured environment that simulates school settings
- Professionally qualified, experienced, caring professionals – therapists, special educations, montessori trained teachers – guiding each step
- Individual Therapy depending on the developmental need of each child
- Parent involvement with regular reviews and home programs along with guidance and training for parents /caregiver
- Periodical Review of Each Child’s Progress and individual goal planning
- Continued Support to Parents and School Staff for smooth transition to school
Three Sparkling Ways to School Readiness
Sparkle Spring
Age Group : 3.5 to 5.5 years
Program Hours : 9.00 am – 3.00 pm
Program Period : 3 months/ 6 months / 9 months / 12 months
Key Developmental Goals :
Sensory regulation with focused sensory integration therapy, language development exercises for communication, guided play to enhance motor skills, build attention, early social interaction, follow classroom routines, waiting for turn, develop pre-academic skills, develop independence in daily activities
Sparkle Bloom
Age Group : 5.5 to 7.5 years
Program Hours : 9.00 am – 3.00 pm
Program Period : 3 months/ 6 months / 9 months / 12 months
Key Developmental Goals :
Emotional regulation training, specialized learning tools to support cognitive growth, group activities to foster teamwork, peer interaction and social communication, follow classroom routine, strengthen academics basics, develop self-help
Sparkle Leap
Age Group : 7.5 to 9.5 years
Program Hours : 9.00 am – 3.00 pm
Program Period : 3 months/ 6 months / 9 months / 12 months
Key Developmental Goals :
Individualized education plans(IEPs) and therapeutic interventions focusing on both social skills and academic challenges to ensure growth and self-assurance, develop executive functioning like organizing, problem-solving, enhance peer interaction and collaboration
For Parents
Our therapists and educators work closely with parents all through the program and even beyond – to ensure a smooth transition to school. We keep you involved with regular updates, collaborative goal setting, goal reviews and easy-to-follow home strategies to help your child stay on the progress track.
Want to know which level suits your child best?
Starting the Spark: Step-by-Step
Assessment, Admission & Transition to School Process
Our team aims to make the journey smooth, transparent and collaborative – keeping your child’s needs at the heart of every step.
Step 1: Initial conversation and Screening
This is the initial brief conversation about parental concerns and needs and the program’s possibilities.
Step 2: Formal Assessment
Depending on the parent/caregiver’s concerns and initial observation of the child, our therapists may conduct a detailed assessment to understand the child’s developmental age, strengths, challenges and unique needs.
Step 3: Program Recommendation
Based on the child’s age, strengths, needs and readiness, our team suggests the appropriate level of School Readiness Program. During this stage, if the child is found school-ready or needs brief group therapy for a specific goal along with regular schooling, the same will be discussed and our team will plan next steps in close collaboration with parents.
Step 4 :Program Orientation & Start
Together, we set goals and begin your child’s developmental journey at Sparkles.
Step 4: Progress Review & Transition to School
Child’s progress is reviewed regularly – monthly/quarterly – and our team works with parent/caregiver to plan the next steps. Based on the progress, we either support a smooth transition to school or recommend the child to the next level of the program. The journey continues with individualised goals till your child is confidently school ready or ready for national board exams.
Know the Sparkles Team and Space
- Professional Team Support
Qualified and experienced Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Behaviour Therapists, Paediatric Physiotherapists, Special Educators and Montessori trained teachers
- Learning rooms
In each category, we mirror school classroom routines in small groups
- Therapy Rooms
Purposefully designed therapy rooms to support your child’s sensory needs, language and communication needs and develop motor skills
- Play Area
Designated play area where learnt social, emotional and motor skills come to life
Did You Know?
- Everyday skills like eating, dressing, toileting, following routine make a huge difference when it comes to school readiness
- Developing emotional regulation lays the foundation for better learning and social interactions
- Combining therapy with everyday life and learning makes progress faster, effective and lasting
Sparkle Spring
Age Category – 3.5 to 5.5 years
Program Hours – 9.00 am to 3.00 pm
Program Period – 3 months/ 6 months / 9 months / 12 months
This stage is the foundational school readiness program. We focus on helping your child feel safe, connected and ready to be part of a structured group setting. During this stage, we work on developing early social, emotional, and daily living skills through play-based learning, gently structured routines and guided interaction.
Key Target Areas
- Build basic classroom behaviours like sitting in a group and following instructions
- Guided play to enhance motor skills and joint play
- Language development exercises for early communication and social interaction
- Focused sensory integration therapy for sensory regulation
- Explore pre-academic concepts like shapes, colours, sorting and matching
- Learn turn-taking and sharing
- Practice simple activities of daily living like washing hands, carrying a bag and packing a bag
- Introduce toilet training and eating independently
- Individual therapy based on each child’s need
Sparkle Spring is a world of exploration, where every tiny step is nurtured to build confidence, communication and early social skills. During this stage, our team supports parents/caregivers with regular updates and simple ideas to carry routines learnt during the program into home.
Sparkle Bloom
Age Category – 5.5 to 7.5 years
Program Hours – 9.00 am to 3.00 pm
Program Period – 3 months/ 6 months / 9 months / 12 months
In this group, children are gently prepared to meet social and academic expectations. We support them in regulating emotions, building teamwork, follow classroom routines and develop self-help.
Key Focus Areas
- Emotional regulation training to manage anger, frustration, transitions
- Follow classroom routines – following timetables, completing tasks
- Develop classroom behaviours like listening, attention, asking for help etc.
- Engage in guided group activities to encourage communication, friendship and teamwork
- Support cognitive growth with specialized learning tools
- Strengthen foundational academic skills like number concepts and pre-reading
- Develop self-help skills like tying shoelaces, eating independently, using the toilet and basic hygiene
- Individual therapy – customised to individual child’s needs in collaboration with parent/caregiver
This is the stage where creativity blooms. Emotional regulation and social interaction play vital roles here. It is during this stage that we help children develop cognitive skills. Our team provides regular updates to parents/caregivers and shares simple ways to encourage consistency between home and school-style expectations.
Sparkle Leap
Age Category – 7.5 to 9.5 years
Program Hours – 9.00 am to 3.00 pm
Program Period – 3 months/ 6 months / 9 months / 12 months
This stage is a leap towards independence. With tailored strategies, our team aims to enhance problem-solving, social understanding and academic confidence in each child. Kids are prepared during this stage to function in a structured environment academically, socially and emotionally.
Key Focus Areas
- Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for strengthening reading, writing and number concepts
- Build emotional self-regulation and resilience
- Gain confidence in presenting their ideas in group settings and expressing their feelings
- Working in groups for peer learning, cooperation and turn-taking
- Develop time management and task completion
- Social communication
- Build executive functioning like memory, attention, planning, flexible thinking
- Develop functioning life skills like organizing school bag, basic money concepts
- Individual therapy based on each child’s developmental and functional needs
This stage focuses on greater independence and social integration for a smooth transition to school. In this group, our team works with parents/caregivers to help their child generalise the skills learnt during the program – from therapy rooms to school classrooms and real life.