Kaleidoscope Play & Learn
Category
Family Support
Child's Age
0-1 years, 1-2 years, 2-3 years, 3-4 years, 4-5 years
Participant
Children, Parents/Guardian
Languages
English, Spanish, Other
Brief Description
Kaleidoscope Play & Learn is a weekly facilitated playgroup model for Family, Friend and Neighbor caregivers and parents to support them in preparing children for success in school and life by providing caregivers with support, information, and resources to support children’s early learning and healthy development.
Expected Impact
- Increased frequency of sharing ideas about caregiving with other adults
- Increased use of community activities or services
- Increased understanding of the relationship between play and a child’s development of new skills, the role of play on relationships between caregivers and children, developmentally appropriate expectations for play, and how play can prepare children for kindergarten
- Increase in positive caregiver-child behaviors such as talking about the child’s feelings, describing what they did and saw, reading, looking at books, or telling stories, and playing with the child
- Increased likelihood of an increase or maintenance of high frequencies of positive caregiver-child behaviors, using community services and activities, and knowledge of healthy child development after attending 37 or more Kaleidoscope sessions
- Increased knowledge of activities to engage with children at home and in group sessions
- Improvements in children’s social interactions with other children, fine motor skills, verbalizing, and learning to share toys
Core Components for Model Fidelity
- Weekly Groups: Lasting 90 minutes or more.
- Child-Directed Play: Children and caregivers participate in open-ended, child-directed play, choosing from a variety of play centers which together support the different areas of development (e.g., cognitive, social-emotional, language, and fine-gross motor).
- Coordinated Group Activity: Children and caregivers participate in a coordinated group activity.
- Intentional Caregiver Learning: The facilitator plans and provides opportunities for intentional caregiver learning.
- Intentional Efforts to Help Caregivers Build Supportive Relationships: The facilitator structures the group to allow for caregivers to interact with each other and makes intentional efforts to connect adult participants to help them build supportive relationships with one another.
- Opportunities for Children to Interact with Each Other
- Intentional Opportunities for Caregiver Leadership: The facilitator provides intentional opportunities for developing caregiver leadership.
Languages Materials are Available in
English, Spanish, Other*
*Contact purveyor about additional available languages.
Delivery Mode
In-person group meetings. The groups meet in community spaces such as libraries, parks, community centers, housing developments, and school districts.
Dosage
90-minute sessions (or more) offered weekly year-round.
Infrastructure for Implementation
Materials: Curriculum and supportive materials (like outreach, budget recommendations, grant language, etc.) are provided for affiliate organizations. The model promotes using everyday items that could be found at home so there are no requirements to purchase expensive toys/games in order to facilitate a group.
Space: Space (indoor or outdoor) that will allow a group of children and caregivers to move around.
Staffing Requirements
Facilitators must complete the Kaleidoscope Play & Learn training provided by BrightSpark. Facilitators do not need any specific credentials or degrees. Background and experience working with families and children in early learning is necessary. Facilitators need to be able to conduct the groups in a culturally appropriate and competent manner for the participants for whom the group is intended, and to develop warm, helping relationships with participants.
Facilitators should expect to dedicate at least 6 hours per week to each 90-minute weekly group session including preparation, set-up, clean up, and follow-up.
NCPC strongly recommends staff receive training in the Standards of Quality for Family Support and Strengthening. Contact Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina (PCANC) or National Family Support Network (NFSN) for more information, training, and certification.
Training for Model Fidelity
BrightSpark, as the hub of the model, offers 4 trainings for new Kaleidoscope Play & Learn facilitators every quarter. Some trainings are held virtually and some are offered in-person in Seattle, WA. In addition, there are limited in-person training opportunities in NC for new facilitators. This training schedule is flexible.
Other facilitator training opportunities (webinars, refresher course, and other professional development opportunities) are offered virtually throughout the year.
Contact Information
Cost Estimates
The estimated startup cost for a Kaleidoscope Play & Learn group is about $25,000 and includes materials, facilitator's salary, supervisor's time, rent, and other expenses. The recurring annual cost is estimated at about $20,000.
The annual affiliation fee is $2,000 and includes access to the curriculum and supportive materials, technical assistance, annual evaluations, training for one staff member (additional staff can be trained for an additional fee), professional development trainings, and other support.
Purpose Service Code (PSC)
5505 – Parent Education
Program Identifier (PID)
Kaleidoscope
Minimal Outputs for NCPC Reporting
FY 24-25:
- Number of parents/guardians participating†
- Number of children participating
†Select Family Support Programs data collection will include basic demographic data for parent/guardian participants including Race, Ethnicity. Data on interpretation and transportation will be collected when appropriate.
Minimal Outcomes for NCPC Reporting
FY 24-25:
- Increase in parent’s social support
Minimal Measures for NCPC Reporting
FY 24-25:
- Kaleidoscope Play & Learn Caregiver Feedback Form
NCPC Evidence Categorization
Evidence Informed- 2 evaluations. No comparison groups.
Research Summary
Two of the most recent and relevant publications on Kaleidoscope Play & Learn groups include year-end survey results from King County, Washington1 and an evaluation of groups piloted in California.2 Results indicated that, after attending, participants shared ideas about caregiving with other adults more frequently (48%) and used community activities or services more often (48%). Respondents indicated that they understood “a lot more” about the relationship between play and a child’s development of new skills (50.5%), the role of play on relationships between caregivers and children (47%), developmentally appropriate expectations for play (45%), and how play can prepare children for kindergarten (45%). Caregivers reported an increase in positive caregiver-child behaviors such as talking about the child’s feelings (37%), describing what they did and saw (31%), reading, looking at books, or telling stories (31%), and playing with the child (27%). Caregivers who attended 37 or more Kaleidoscope Play & Learn sessions were significantly more likely to report an increase or maintenance of high frequencies of positive caregiver-child behaviors, using community services and activities, and knowledge of healthy child development. Caregivers in predominantly non-English speaking homes or low-income households reported significant increases in knowledge and less improvements in their use of positive caregiver-child behaviors than their peers. FFN caregivers from non-English speaking homes were more likely to report increases in knowledge and positive caregiver-child behaviors than their peers from predominantly English-speaking homes. Facilitators reported that participants learned new activities to engage with their children at home and observed them interacting and engaging with their children more often after attending the group. Results indicated that a higher proportion of FFN caregivers, compared to parents, reported that they understood the importance of having a nurturing relationship with the child in their care; they read, looked at books, and told stories with the child in their care; they talked to the child in their care about their feelings; and they shared ideas about caring for children with another adult. Caregivers reported improvements in their child’s social interactions with other children, fine motor skills, verbalizing, and learning to share toys.
- ^ See Summary of Year-End Kaleidoscope Play & Learn Participant Results (2013). This report sampled 16 King County, Washington affiliates of Kaleidoscope Play & Learn. The affiliates submitted 394 Kaleidoscope Play & Learn caregiver feedback forms, which served as the primary measure in the report. Participant demographics captured by the caregiver feedback form indicate that 24% of respondents were family, friend, or neighbor (FFN) caregivers who brought a child other than their own to Kaleidoscope Play & Learn sessions. Most of these FFN caregivers were grandparents (49%). Caregivers brought children ages 0-5, with most children being age 2 years (49%). Approximately two thirds of Kaleidoscope Play & Learn participants were people of color (66%) and most of these participants identified as Asian (58%). Half of respondents lived in homes where adults spoke a language other than English, with Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish being the most common selections (69%). Almost half (48%) of respondents indicating a household annual income of less than $44,000 or 200% of the national poverty level for a family of four. Most participants (83%) reported attending Kaleidoscope Play & Learn weekly meetings more than twice, and 43% of these participants attended more than 12 times that year. The retrospective posttest portion of the caregiver feedback form indicated that, after attending, participants shared ideas about caregiving with other adults more frequently (48%) and used community activities or services more often (48%). Respondents indicated that they understood “a lot more” about the relationship between play and a child’s development of new skills (50.5%), the role of play on relationships between caregivers and children (47%), developmentally appropriate expectations for play (45%), and how play can prepare children for kindergarten (45%). Caregivers reported an increase in positive caregiver-child behaviors such as talking about the child’s feelings (37%), describing what they did and saw (31%), reading, looking at books, or telling stories (31%), and playing with the child (27%). Caregivers who attended 37 or more Kaleidoscope Play & Learn sessions were significantly more likely to report an increase or maintenance of high frequencies of positive caregiver-child behaviors, using community services and activities, and knowledge of healthy child development. Caregivers in predominantly non-English speaking homes or low-income households reported significant increases in knowledge and less improvements in their use of positive caregiver-child behaviors than their peers. FFN caregivers from non-English speaking homes were more likely to report increases in knowledge and positive caregiver-child behaviors than their peers from predominantly English-speaking homes.
- ^ See California Child Care Resource & Referral Network (2018). This evaluation details findings from the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network’s pilot of Kaleidoscope Play & Learn at 9 resource and referral agencies across 7 counties in California. Measures included interviews with facilitators and the Kaleidoscope Caregiver Feedback Form. Demographic data from 93 caregivers indicated that 40% of participants were family, friend, or neighbor (FFN) caregivers, with nannies representing the majority (65%) of FFN caregivers. Child ages ranged from 0-6 years (M = 3 years). The sample population included primarily racially/ethnically diverse groups (including 49% Hispanic or Latino, 27% Asian, and 12% African American or Black), caregivers who spoke languages other than English (e.g., 32% Spanish and 21% Cantonese or Mandarin), and low-income families (40% of participants reported a family income of less than $22,000). In their interviews, facilitators reported that participants learned new activities to engage with their children at home and observed them interacting and engaging with their children more often after attending the group. Results of the Kaleidoscope Caregiver Feedback Form indicated that a higher proportion of FFN caregivers, compared to parents, reported that they understood the importance of having a nurturing relationship with the child in their care; they read, looked at books, and told stories with the child in their care; they talked to the child in their care about their feelings; and they shared ideas about caring for children with another adult. Caregivers reported improvements in their child’s social interactions with other children, fine motor skills, verbalizing, and learning to share toys.
Researched Population
- Parents/caregivers
- Family, friend, or neighbor (FFN) caregivers (with grandparents and nannies representing the majority of FFN caregivers)
- Caregivers with children ages 0-6
- Diverse racial and ethnic groups (including Asian, Hispanic or Latino, and African American or Black)
- Families whose primary language was not English (including Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin)
- Low-income families reporting a household annual income of less than $44,000 or 200% of the federal poverty level for a family of four
California Child Care Resource & Referral Network. (2018). Kaleidoscope Play & Learn Evaluation. https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/rrnetwork/pages/301/attachments/original/1534283071/CCCRRN_Kaleidoscope_Report_FINAL.pdf?1534283071
Summary of Year-End Kaleidoscope Play & Learn Participant Results. (2013). https://www.childcare.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/Kaleidoscope_Play_%26_Learn_2012_Evaluation_Report.pdf
Kaleidoscope Play & Learn is informed by decades of theory, research, and practice in the fields of child development, early childhood education, family support, group practice, and other disciplines. Please see the Resources and References section of the Kaleidoscope Play & Learn Guidelines for a partial listing of some of the frameworks upon which Kaleidoscope Play & Learn draws.
Kaleidoscope Play & Learn also operates from a Theory of Change, which outlines the desired outcomes and goals for the model. The Theory of Change is the framework used to measure Kaleidoscope Play & Learns effectiveness.
Local Partnerships Currently Implementing
Local Partnerships in purple have adopted Kaleidoscope Play & Learn. Local Partnership contact information can be found here.