Sparta — On a crisp March morning, Emily Elliott and Marlene Raffler greeted a procession of parents and kids filing into Sparta’s Early Childhood Center. Smiles, salutations and even a few hugs followed as Raffler and Elliott led the way to the room where the day’s Bright Beginnings playgroup session was about to get started.
Bright Beginnings is a Kent ISD initiative that helps Kent County parents prepare their children, ages 0-5, to become students. The hour-long playgroups are just one element of the program, focused on meaningful play and acclimating young learners to the classroom before it’s time for them to formally start school.
Raffler and Elliott — both Kent ISD-employed parent educators — facilitate the groups using the Parents as Teachers curriculum, which aims to empower parents to be their kids’ “first and best educator.” They guide participants through free play, reading time, singalongs and clean-up.
The playgroups have expanded since the approval of the Ready by Five millage in August 2024, which helped fund additional evening sessions and dinner at Sparta and other districts. Weekend sessions are available elsewhere in Kent County.
More playgroups are a boon for parents and families, said Elliott.
“The playgroups are great opportunities for kids to play together, and to just familiarize themselves with the classroom setting, the school setting,” she said. “It makes it a little bit easier later on with that transition when they get ready for school.”
She added that the groups are beneficial for parents as well.
“They’re able to swap stories and advice and make those connections, and that’s really the purpose of those playgroups … to try to make those connections in our community.”
Learning Through Play
Once situated in the classroom, parents and young kiddos got busy at the various play stations throughout the room filled with building blocks, puzzles, finger painting, light tables and more.
“It looks like play, but it is all purposeful,” said Raffler. “Kids learn through play, so it’s just a lot of fun.”
Parents got in on that fun as well, joining their kids at different stations. As their kids settled into various activities, some parents talked about how valuable the playgroups have been to them.
“It’s social interaction,” said parent Julie Striebel, as her 2-year-old son Evan started exploring the stations and getting acquainted with other kids. “It’s been a great experience with exposure to different classroom settings and school settings.”
Jessica Valle brings her 16-month-old daughter Emilia and 3-year-old son Lorenzo to playgroups as often as she can. She loves that the groups are accessible and offered at various times and locations.
“It’s quick and easy, and I like that you can come on your own time. … But everything is educational,” Valle said. “It takes the pressure off of me to put something together.”
Parent Kelsey Ward noted that playgroup participants “get a little bit of everything.”
“It’s just awesome,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ward’s 2-year-old son Trace was gleefully counting out “seven, eight, nine,” as he placed numbered blocks of various shapes into corresponding spots on a platform.
Ward and Valle have also made use of the personalized Bright Beginnings home visits, which support parents by identifying developmental challenges their kids may be facing, and then connecting them with resources to help.
“We’re meeting parents exactly where they’re at, using their strengths to help them become the best they can be, and their child’s best teacher,” Elliott said.
A Strong Partnership
While Bright Beginnings serves all Kent County school districts, Sparta was an early champion of the program, and has been a partner since around the time the program launched decades ago.
“The partnership is very strong with the ISD and Sparta with this program,” Raffler said. “They’re invested in reaching parents before they get to school. … That’s really awesome that we have this great partnership with Sparta.”
‘The playgroups are great opportunities for kids to play together, and to just familiarize themselves with the classroom setting, the school setting.’
— Emily Elliott, parent educator
Sparta Superintendent Joel Stoner said the district values the partnership too, and is glad to offer up its Early Childhood Center building — remodeled in 2021 — for the program’s use.
Stoner said Bright Beginnings’ playgroups provide a crucial bridge for student socialization prior to starting school.
“Now there’s so much rigor expected in kindergarten that the social experience is lessened. This is kind of filling that void as these kids are preparing for school,” Stoner said.
He added that the program offers “natural, authentic opportunities for kids to be able to engage together in a social setting so they’re prepared for applying that social skill set into an academic area.”
“It’s a great relationship,” Stoner added. “Bright Beginnings is a great feeder for reaching out into our communities and advocating for school.”
Bright Beginnings is available to all Kent County families. Find playgroup signup information here.
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