Click image to order curriculum
A core Quaker curriculum for young children, Sparkling Still provides everything you need to create lessons for children ages 3 to 8 and build a classroom community. Topics include sense of self, family and community, the natural world, the Bible and Quakerism, worship, celebrations, empowerment, and Quaker testimonies, as well as guidance on hard issues like grief, divorce, extreme weather, violence, and more. Written with a busy new First Day school teacher in mind, the curriculum includes basic elements of teacher training and streamlines the whole lesson-planning process. Extensive booklists help make curriculum planning fun. A step-by-step Master Lesson Plan, blank lesson templates, and seven sample lessons give teachers a jump start. The modular shape of Sparkling Still lets you design programming for other uses too, such as meeting retreats, vacation First Day school, and in-home First Day school.
Looking for children’s books to use in lessons? The Sparkling Still Online Library is a treasure trove of books chosen by seasoned Quaker religious educators. The Sparkling Still Library Thing collection is searchable by topic and age group. See these step by step instructions:
Sparkling Still LibraryThing (Instructions)
Sparkling Still Library Thing Instructions
Introduction to Sparkling Still (Slides)
Introduction to Sparkling Still: Slides
Queries for Planning Lessons
Queries for Planning Lessons
Choosing and Using Books in First Day School (Article)
Considerations When Choosing and Using Books in First Day School
Choosing Books (Guidelines)
Choosing Books: Guidelines
Wondering Questions (Slides)
Wondering Questions
Lesson Plan (Template)
Lesson Plan Template
Sparkling Still published links (Updated February 2024)
Sparkling Still Published Links, February 2024
An Introduction
The Quaker Religious Education Collaborative (QREC) is an international, cross-branch, grassroots network of Friends sharing a stewardship for lifelong Quaker faith formation through religious education. We formed in April 2014 and now serve more than 300 Friends in our network. We actively engage and support each other across languages and continents. We gather for regional and annual conferences and offer monthly Conversation Circles via an online conferencing platform.
Steering Circle
We share leadership as part of our collaborative mission, making decisions using the Quaker ‘sense of the meeting’ process, sitting in expectant, worshipful waiting for the emergence of shared truth. Read more…
Working Circles
Our work takes place in ‘circles’ or small groups of Friends who labor on a common task, usually meeting by video conference due to the geographic diversity of the membership. Read more…
The Resource Library
Finders Guide, a sampling of the collection
The QREC Resource Library is a place to share lessons and other educational information in support of our work as Quaker religious educators. This library is a forum for curricula, articles, videos and other educational materials on Quaker themes. You will also find principles, policies and procedures to strengthen operation of your child, youth and adult religious education programs.
Children's Education
Adult Education
Family
African Quaker Library
Youth Education
Small Meetings
Young Adult Friends
Biblioteca QREC
Events
Find renewal, companionship, and help for nitty gritty issues in Quaker religious education, all the while opening spaces for Spirit to work and listening together for God’s way forward.
QREC holds an annual conference and retreat. In addition we hold online Conversation Circles and post other religious education events as we learn about them.
Conversation Circles
Online conferences for Quaker religious educators to share about their work. Conversations are scheduled for two sessions per topic to encourage international participation. Join the conversation…
Other Events
Religious education events of interest to Quakers from all parts of the world. Please let us know about upcoming online or in-person events happening in your area. See the list of upcoming events…
Love at the Heart
Spiritual Practices
Discernment
Active Caring
Quaker Family Culture
Finding the Light
Faith at Home
Home is the heart of faith formation for all families. This is especially true for Friends. As an experiential religion, Quakerism is best learned through living in loving community. Indeed, the vast majority of faith formation for our young Friends happens at home in the busy swirl of daily life.
Become a Member
Submit Resources
Get Announcements
Donate
Attend an Event
Contact Us
Get Involved
QREC depends on all of us sharing our gifts and skills as religious educators. Here are some of the ways you can get involved…
Author: Anne Collins, Beth Collea, Sally Farneth, Susan Hopkins, Erika Mittag
Illustrator: David Botwinik
Publisher: Quaker Press
Age Group: 4 to 5 years, 6 to 8 years, Nursery, preschool
Preparation Time: 1.00
Related File: Click to view/download file
Related Link (or File): Click to go to link
Topics: Bible, Centering, Core Curriculum Training, Environment and Stewardship, Faith & Practice, Games, Lessons & Activities, Meditation & Centering, Music, Peace Testimony, Quaker Values, Simplicity, Teacher Training, Testimonies, With Children
An Introduction
The Quaker Religious Education Collaborative (QREC) is an international, cross-branch, grassroots network of Friends sharing a stewardship for lifelong Quaker faith formation through religious education. We formed in April 2014 and now serve more than 300 Friends in our network. We actively engage and support each other across languages and continents. We gather for regional and annual conferences and offer monthly Conversation Circles via an online conferencing platform.
Steering Circle
We share leadership as part of our collaborative mission, making decisions using the Quaker ‘sense of the meeting’ process, sitting in expectant, worshipful waiting for the emergence of shared truth. Read more…
Working Circles
Our work takes place in ‘circles’ or small groups of Friends who labor on a common task, usually meeting by video conference due to the geographic diversity of the membership. Read more…
The Resource Library
Finders Guide, a sampling of the collection
The QREC Resource Library is a place to share lessons and other educational information in support of our work as Quaker religious educators. This library is a forum for curricula, articles, videos and other educational materials on Quaker themes. You will also find principles, policies and procedures to strengthen operation of your child, youth and adult religious education programs.
Children's Education
Adult Education
Family
African Quaker Library
Youth Education
Small Meetings
Young Adult Friends
Biblioteca QREC
Events
Find renewal, companionship, and help for nitty gritty issues in Quaker religious education, all the while opening spaces for Spirit to work and listening together for God’s way forward.
QREC holds an annual conference and retreat. In addition we hold online Conversation Circles and post other religious education events as we learn about them.
Conversation Circles
Online conferences for Quaker religious educators to share about their work. Conversations are scheduled for two sessions per topic to encourage international participation. Join the conversation…
Other Events
Religious education events of interest to Quakers from all parts of the world. Please let us know about upcoming online or in-person events happening in your area. See the list of upcoming events…
Love at the Heart
Spiritual Practices
Discernment
Active Caring
Quaker Family Culture
Finding the Light
Faith at Home
Home is the heart of faith formation for all families. This is especially true for Friends. As an experiential religion, Quakerism is best learned through living in loving community. Indeed, the vast majority of faith formation for our young Friends happens at home in the busy swirl of daily life.
Become a Member
Submit Resources
Get Announcements
Donate
Attend an Event
Contact Us
Get Involved
QREC depends on all of us sharing our gifts and skills as religious educators. Here are some of the ways you can get involved…