Each of the 3 Spark Card Sets includes 8 story sets with 6 cards in each set which are designed specifically to encourage children to observe picture details and to improve their picture interpretation skills. The cards can be used to enhance the ability of children to retell stories, sequence pictures, problem-solve, as well as prompts for 'wh' questions. Each picture scene is illustrated specifically to target higher levels of thinking and to improve proficiency in problem-solving, responding to 'why' and 'how' questions, analyzing and comparing, inferring and predicting, and reasoning skills. Each box contains an answer key with a question guide for each picture. Durable, high-quality, colorful 4.5" x 4.5" pictures. Ages 4 and up.
How to Use SPARK Card Set 1 & SPARK Card Set 2: The individual picture cards can be used on their own or as a complete picture scene set to target many language goals including sentence formation, use of nouns, verbs and verb tenses, pronouns, adjectives, prepositions, temporal concepts, main idea, exposure to basic concepts, and more. Below are a few different ways Spark Cards can be used, and you can create your own ideas as well.
Articulation: Circle objects with target sounds in the picture scenes. Practice the words or phrases. Have the child tell a story about the scenes.
Expressive Language:
Increasing Vocabulary: Label basic vocabulary words and objects in pictures. Describe, categorize and expound on the concepts.
Sentence Structure:
Have the child formulate a sentence for each picture card. Give the child a word to use to formulate sentences. Work on increasing MLU by increasing the length and complexity of the sentences.
Telling Narratives: Teach a child how to tell a story. Focus on story elements such as character, setting, plot, climax, and conflict. Have the child formulate sentences, use conjunctions and transitional words to tell the story in sequential order.
Main Idea: Have the child identify a title for a set of story cards and/or tell a main idea for each picture illustration.
Use of Pronouns: Circle the characters in the picture cards. Have the child practice using pronouns correctly when formulating sentences about the characters.
Verb Usage: Line up several cards and work on past, future tense verbs. Work on verbs, plurals, and irregular plurals while describing the picture cards and formulating sentences about them.
Receptive Language:
Sequence It: Have the child set the cards up in the correct order using inferencing skills to infer the correct order of the cards.
Answering 'wh' Questions: Using the prompt cards, ask 'wh' questions such as 'who,' 'what,' 'when,' 'where,' 'why,' and 'how.'
Social Skills:
Emotions: Use a marker to make thinking bubbles and/or speech bubbles to illustrate what the characters might be thinking, saying, and feeling
Problem Solving: Work on cause and effect and possible solutions to solve the problems depicted in the picture
Sequence it: Present some or all of the cards to your child and have them put the cards in the correct order.
Ask it: Ask the “WH” questions: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW
For an even greater challenge try advanced level activities:
Expand it: Practice critical thinking skills and ask, “What happened before?”, “What might happen next?”, “What other events are happening during the events in this picture?”.
Expressive Language:
Describe it: Have your child formulate a sentence and describe the picture scenes.
Narrate it: Have your child tell the story using narrative skills and connect the pictures using sequencing terms such as: then, next, before, after, first, last, beginning, middle, and in the end.
Connect it: Connect the events in the story picture cards to something you did, you know or experienced.
For an even greater challenge try advanced level activities:
Summarize it: Ask your child to identify the main idea. Have your child name the story with a story title.
Create it: Have your child create another similar sequenced story. Compare and contrast the stories.
Social Skills
Perceive it: Critical thinking: “What is the character thinking?” “What is the character saying?”
Visual Motor & Visual Perception
Analyze it: Have your child notice picture details and identify which details are the clues to determine the order of the pictures. Use a dry erase marker to highlight scene details.
Notice it: Notice the character emotions and changes of details in the picture card sets.
For an even greater challenge try advanced level activities:
Draw it: Have your child draw a scene that might have happened before, after, and/or between the events in the picture card scenes.
Write it: Have your child work on writing skills and write a story about the picture cards.
These high quality cards are child friendly and made of strong card stock that resists tearing. Tip: Use a dry erase marker to highlight picture details while working with your child. Dry erase markings are easily erasable so cards can be used again and again.
Adaptable for all ages! Spark Cards are a perfect occupational therapy and speech therapy game for classroom and center based activities, individual therapy sessions, at home with parents and the entire family. Skill level of cards is adaptable to many levels by simply removing or using all the cards in a set. To achieve higher level skills and critical thinking, use all 6 picture cards as a set. The sets can also be reduced to 3-4 picture scenes by removing 2-3 picture cards for lower level sequencing and story retelling. The complexity of the questions can also be adjusted according to the age and skill level of the child.
