Spark Studio
Like Maria Montessori, we believe even the youngest children have important work to do, even if the work is imaginary play or working together with wood scraps, ladders, and old tires to build a castle.
The Spark Studio is best imagined as a garden where young learners (usually ages 5-7) embrace Montessori work and Spark Play to learn real-life skills and develop the independence, focus, and kindness needed to learn to love learning and enter the Elementary Studio — each prepared to discover a calling that will change the world.
We take the original principles of Montessori even further by making the top priority of a Spark Guide to equip Spark and older learners (Sheepdogs) to take over studio leadership tasks from adults as soon as possible by offering examples, a rubric, and a recipe for each skill — mirroring the Montessori method of a Guide showing a lesson so the child can do it alone.
The aim of Spark is for young heroes to be introduced to Acton and the hero’s journey, learning real-life skills and developing the independence, focus, and kindness needed to enter an Acton Elementary Studio.
In the Spark Studio, learners are invited to explore their curiosity in a magical studio filled with deep, meaningful work and play. Along the way, they'll face the difficult challenges of being part of a tribe and be invited to transform into young heroes who contribute to their tribes and find joy in their learning.
LEARNING in Spark
Joy + Curiosity = Lifelong Learner
Our goal is for those who enter Spark to become lifelong learners. To do that, they must learn to love learning, which means it has to be fun and engaging. The Spark Studio is the gateway to your child starting their Hero’s Journey.
