Sparkling Still, a Quaker RE Curriculum for ages 3 – 8

Conversation Circles: January 16 & 18, 2024

Sparkling still uses children’s picture books as a foundation to teach Friends faith and practice. Novice and experienced religious education teachers alike will find everything needed to create lessons and build classroom community among children ages 3-8. The Sparkling Still manual streamlines the lesson-planning process while folding in basic elements of teaching technique. Also included are guidance for exploring hard issues, such as grief and divorce, and extensive lists of children’s books for enjoyable, meaningful lessons.  The webpage offers resources on how to use the curriculum, and an online catalog of books suitable for lessons searchable by topic and age appropriateness.

If you’re looking for:

• A lesson planning process that accommodates children’s intermittent attendance,
• A consistent format that can accommodate volunteers with minimal prep time,
• Flexibility to create your own lessons, 
• A series that uses children’s books available at your public library or Meeting library, 

Join these conversations with the Sparkling Still Working Group to explore how to use Sparkling Still in your Meeting. 

Conversation Starters:

• Anne Collins, Saratoga Friends Meeting, NYYM
• Sally Farneth, Portland Friends Meeting, NEYM
• Susan Hopkins, Grass Valley Friends Meeting, PacYM
• Erika Mittag, Austin Friends Meeting, SCYM

Facilitators: 

• Andrew Wright, Durham Friends Meeting, NCYMC
• Sita Diehl, Madison Friends Meeting, NYM

RESOURCES: 

• Sparkling Still: A Quaker Religious Education Curriculum for First Day School and Home Use for Children ages 3-8.  Friends General Conference (FGC)

• Sparkling Still Children’s Book Collection on Library Thing

• Learn more: Visit the QREC Resource Library and subscribe to our announcements