Overview

Alignment with Be You Domains

Mentally Healthy Communities
Family Partnerships
Learning Resilience

Alignment with Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)

Children are confident and involved learners
Children are connected with and contribute to their world
Children are effective communicators
Children have a strong sense of identity
Children have a strong sense of wellbeing

Alignment with Australian Curriculum

Health and PE

Target audience

Primary school

Target groups

Individual
Small group
Whole class

Aims

Sparky and Shady for Early Years aims to support children aged 3–8 years, alongside their educators and families, to understand how body signals, feelings, thoughts and behaviours are connected using developmentally appropriate, child-friendly concepts. The program includes an early childhood pathway for 3-5 years and a primary pathway for 5-8 years. It aims to: • Strengthen children’s sense of identity, belonging and self-worth, including their confidence to participate, try new things and engage in learning. • Build emotional literacy • Teach practical self-regulation and coping strategies • Build social awareness and prosocial skills • Support readiness to learn • Provide children, educators and families with a simple, shared language • Equip educators and families with evidence-informed behaviour guidance • Support inclusive practice • Lay strong preventative foundations for long-term wellbeing.

Program theory

The program is informed by research from psychology, neuroscience and education. Its theoretical foundations are best described through a Sparky and Shady framework called "NULO", which explains behaviour as Need-driven, Under-skilled, Learned or Overwhelmed. NULO supports a wellbeing-focused understanding of behaviour and guides appropriate, strengths-based responses.

Topics

Five core topics taught through a child-friendly framework: 1. Connect with Sparky – recognising the calm, brave and kind part of ourselves and learning to pause, connect, and ask for help when needed. 2. Train Shady – understanding the protective part of us that can overreact under stress, noticing when it is helping or not helping, and learning simple language to “train” Shady in safe, supportive ways. 3. Look After Your Body – noticing body signals and basic physical needs (e.g. hunger, thirst, tiredness) and how unmet needs can affect feelings and behaviour. 4. Feel Your Feelings – normalising feelings as human, learning to name emotions, and practising safe ways to express big feelings with support from trusted adults. 5. Love Yourself – building self-worth and self-compassion through kind inner self-talk and affirmations, and continuing to practise the program’s core strategies over time. Across these topics, children are introduced to and practise simple self-awareness and regulation strategies (e.g. checking body needs, naming feelings, noticing when Shady is loud, and asking Sparky for help.) The program includes five practical behaviour-support strategies for educators and families, presented one per lesson: Wise Choice, SBCS for Tricky Behaviours, SBCS for Conflict Resolution, CARS for Big Feelings, and Repair for Grownups and Children.

Cost

The program is offered as annual access for early childhood educators and early primary school teachers. Annual access: $440 including GST Includes one educator login, full online program access, educator guidance, printable resources, behaviour-support strategies, optional pre- and post-program data collection, and access to parallel Sparky and Shady for Early Years Families online program for up to 40 families.

Program structure

The program is delivered as a five-lesson online wellbeing program, typically implemented over five consecutive weeks. Each lesson includes short (under 5 minutes), age-appropriate video content, supported by educator notes, printable resources and follow-up activities including a fictional story, and a practical game. Lessons are usually delivered in a 30–40 minute session once per week, with flexibility for whole-class, small-group or individual participation depending on the setting. The program is supported by a behaviour-support strategy suite that helps educators and families apply shared language involving big feelings, tricky behaviours, peer conflict and repair. Between sessions, educators are encouraged to reinforce the weekly focus by supporting children to practise the lesson strategy during everyday routines. The program is accessed online via an annual educator membership. Educators receive implementation guidance and optional deep dive content explaining the theory and practical application of each lesson. Families are provided free access to parallel child-friendly content, printable summaries, stories and parent notes. Educators and families may also opt to complete pre- and post-program wellbeing questionnaires to measure impact. The program is commonly introduced in Terms 1 or 2 and revisited in Terms 3 or 4 for reinforcement.

Instructor

Educator

Instructor training

No formal instructor training or accreditation is required to deliver Sparky and Shady for Early Years. The program is designed so educators can implement it directly by logging in and teaching the lessons alongside children, learning the concepts as they go. Each lesson includes clear educator notes, step-by-step guidance, suggested language, behaviour support strategies and printable resources. Optional “deep dive” content is also provided, explaining the theory underpinning the program and how strategies can be applied in practice. This design supports educators with varying levels of experience in wellbeing and behaviour guidance to implement the program confidently.

Supporting resources or materials available with program

Online webinars
Other (please specify)

Other materials

Six pre-recorded Step-by-Step Implementation Sessions are included to support implementation. These sessions introduce the program philosophy, key concepts, lesson structure, behaviour-support strategies and practical use of the online platform and resources.

Ongoing support

Ongoing support for educators is available through the program website FAQs, email enquiries and the online platform, allowing educators to revisit content, educator notes and resources as needed. In addition, early learning services and schools may book the program developer to provide optional, in-depth professional learning sessions. Parent information evenings may also be offered to strengthen family understanding and engagement with the program. Professional learning sessions are optional and incur additional costs. Fees typically range from $440–$880, depending on the length and format of the session, with travel and accommodation costs charged separately where applicable.

Parent involvement

Written information provided to parents
Online resources

Origin of program

Australia

Sparky and Shady

Program authors

Kathy Sheehan

: 5 Harbour Drive,Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 Australia

: +61266516776

: kathy@sparkyandshady.com

: Visit website

Ratings

2/4 Evidence

1/4 Implementation

Summary of evidence factors

This is a summary of the evaluation or research study characteristics that contribute to the program’s evidence rating.

Positive impact on at least one outcome for children and/or young people?	Yes
Link between program description and theory of change	Comprehensive
Study design	Pre-post cohort
Independence	Semi

Summary of implementation factors

This is a summary of the program’s characteristics that contribute to its implementation rating.

Feedback sought from participants	No
Feedback sought from instructors	Yes
Groups program is not suitable for	Not assessed
Training provided during study	None
Ongoing instructor support provided during study	No

Context

This is a summary of the context in which the evidence for the program was established.

Study Participants	Early learning Primary school
Country of Study/s	Australia
Location of Study/s in Australia	NSW
Evaluation of program in culturally and linguistically diverse populations	Yes
Evaluation of program in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people	Yes
Evaluation of program in low socioeconomic groups	No
Developmental based adaptations to program design and delivery	No
Evaluation of program in children and young people with disability and/or learning difference	Yes

Last updated: 24 June 2026