Mathematics
Numbers, patterns, measurement and first data in tables and bar charts.
COGNIPRAXIS ACADEMY · ZONE 1 OF 4
SparksThe foundation years.
Ages 6–8 · UK Years 2–4 · Greek grades 1–3
Children learn through play, exploration, storytelling and making, and every session builds the foundations of thinking, collaboration, emotions, responsibility and the confidence to try without fearing mistakes.
1 : 4Two educators for up to 8 children, in every lesson.
25capabilities with clear milestones for this age, from the Developmental Map.
8units a year, each with its own question, project and presentation.
SPARKS AT A GLANCE
The practical details, in six lines.
Session
1 × 75′ a week
Six stages in every lesson, with the Bridge before the close
Year
8 units × 4 weeks
September–June · joining at the start of each unit
Group
Up to 8 children
With two educators in every lesson
Language
Greek or English Track
The whole learning experience in the language you choose
Levels
Junior and Senior
We choose the level together, after we get to know each other
Fees
Announced when enrolment opens
Those who have registered interest hear first · 10 monthly instalments, September–June
WHY WE START HERE
At 6, knowledge and the way we learn begin to be built together.
At this age we cultivate the foundational processes of learning through real, age-appropriate content. Children learn to hold an instruction in mind, to pause before answering, to change approach when something is not working and to plan simple steps, within activities that have meaning.
KNOWLEDGE · WHAT THEY LEARN
Substantial knowledge, at the depth this age allows.
Three core subjects in every zone. Each unit opens with a question worth investigating and closes with a project or a presentation.
Language & Literature
Reading, storytelling, speaking and first written stories, in the language of the Track.
Science
Observation, simple fair tests and questions about the natural world around us.
Alongside them, within the units: History & Social Sciences · Computing & Robotics · Arts & Drama.
The year in Sparks.
8 units, two Developmental Profiles and three parent meetings.
SEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUN
1st Developmental Profile
2nd Developmental Profile
Getting to know you
01MATH
Report02SCI + MATH
Report03LANG + ARTS
Report04SCI + MATH
Report05LANG + HIST
Report06MATH + COMP
Report07SCI + LANG
Report08LANG + MATH
ReportParent meeting
Parent meeting
Parent meeting
- SEPGetting to know you
- OCT–NOVUnit 01 · MATH+ Unit Report
- NOV–DECUnit 02 · SCI + MATH+ Unit Report
- NOVParent meeting
- DEC–JANUnit 03 · LANG + ARTS+ Unit Report
- JAN–FEBUnit 04 · SCI + MATH+ Unit Report
- FEB1st Developmental Profile
- FEBParent meeting
- FEB–MARUnit 05 · LANG + HIST+ Unit Report
- MAR–APRUnit 06 · MATH + COMP+ Unit Report
- APR–MAYUnit 07 · SCI + LANG+ Unit Report
- MAYParent meeting
- MAY–JUNUnit 08 · LANG + MATH+ Unit Report
- JUN2nd Developmental Profile
Sparks: 8 units × 4 weeks · 75′ a week · Indicative schedule. the unit of the sample lesson
MATH Mathematics · LANG Language & Literature · SCI Science · alongside them: HIST History & Social Sciences · COMP Computing & Robotics · ARTS Arts & Drama
GROWTH · THE MILESTONES OF THIS ZONE
What the child will be able to do in Sparks.
The Developmental Map milestones for this zone, with the main route through which each capability is cultivated. Each milestone is one way for a capability to show, not the only one.
- Working memoryHolds a three-step instruction and carries it out without it being repeated.Within the task
- Inhibitory controlPauses before answering a question that “looks” easy: rereads it, then answers.Within the task
- Cognitive flexibilityWhen one way does not work, tries a genuinely different one instead of repeating the same.Within the task
- PlanningPuts steps in order before starting, and changes the order when it does not work.Within the task
Interpersonal, emotional, ethical
- Emotional awareness and self-awarenessNotices when something inside them changes (getting angry, bored or upset) and shows or says it before it spills over.Bridge
- Empathy and respect for diversityRealises that something they found funny upset someone else, and stops.Bridge
- Communication and collaborationPresents their work to the group, and answers a question about it.Way of working
- Ethical thinking, integrity and responsibilityWhen something they did affected someone else, owns their part and suggests a way to put it right.Bridge
Thinking and meaning-making
- Critical thinking, problem solving and decision-makingSeparates what they observed or learned from what they concluded themselves.Within the task
- Systems thinkingSays what will change in something they built if they remove or add a part.Within the task
- Creativity, imagination and innovationMakes something of their own from what they learned, instead of copying the example.Within the task
- Curiosity, inquiry and reflectionAsks about something they did not understand, instead of staying silent or pretending.Within the task
Future-ready, citizenship, care
- Health literacy and well-beingRecognises when they are hungry, thirsty or tired, and says so instead of letting it come out another way.Bridge
- Global citizenship and environmental awarenessLooks after a living thing or a shared space as their own responsibility, and keeps it up.Bridge
- Digital and AI literacyTells what is real from what is made up in something they see on a screen.Within the task
- Computational thinkingFinds where something they made “got stuck”, and fixes it step by step.Within the task
- Financial literacyUnderstands that choosing one thing means not getting the other, and chooses.Within the task
- Initiative and entrepreneurial mindsetWhen the goal is clear, starts the first step without waiting for detailed instructions.Way of working
Psychological resources
- Overcoming adversityKeeps trying at something they find hard for weeks, without avoiding it.Way of working
- Resilience in everyday difficultiesTries again at something that did not work the first time.Way of working
- Emotion regulationWhen angry or upset, finds a way to step away for a moment or to say it, instead of taking it out on others.Way of working
- Attention regulationReturns to their work after an interruption, without having to start again.Way of working
- Generalised self-efficacySays “I’ll give it a go” to something they have never done before.Way of working
- Optimistic explanatory styleAfter something that did not go well, says what they will try next time instead of “I can’t”.Way of working
- Success mindsetIs pleased about another child’s success, without belittling their own.Way of working
The core functions of Mental Toughness start in Explorers. In Sparks, resilience is cultivated as “Everyday resilience”.
↑- Self-regulated learningSays what they found difficult, and what they will do differently next time.Way of working
- Self-DeterminationMakes a choice between two paths within the activity.Way of working
FOR PARENTS AND EDUCATORS · PDF
The full Developmental Map 6–16
All four zones, so you can see where each capability starts and where it leads.
THE BRIDGE IN SPARKS
From the day’s knowledge to a human question.
A story, a person, an animal or an object. Questions like “how does it feel?” and “what would we do?”. Ends with one small action or one sentence.
10–14 minutes before reflection. In the Bridge we assess how the child thinks, never what they believe.
- “The weather inside me”Weather and seasons · SCIEmotional awareness and self-awareness
- “The line on the ship”Buoyancy and load · SCI + MATHEmpathy and respect for diversity
- “Fair shares”Halves and quarters, equal parts · MATHEthical thinking, integrity and responsibility
- “Twice as big?”Comparing and measuring · MATHCritical thinking, problem solving and decision-making
- “A garden without bees”Plants and animals · SCISystems thinking
- “How did they live without a fridge?”Materials and temperature · SCICuriosity, inquiry and reflection
A LESSON IN SPARKS
One session in Sparks, from the inside.
A sample lesson from this zone: the learning objectives, the growth targets with their routes, the Bridge and the flow. The full lesson plan opens alongside.
UNIT 02 · LESSON 3 OF 4 · SCIENCE + MATHEMATICS
“Why do some things float?”
Today: The boat that holds the most coins · 75′
KNOWLEDGE · LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- O1Explains that the same amount of material holds more load when its shape changes.
- O2Designs a fair test: changes only one thing at a time.
- O3Records measurements in a table, draws a bar chart and compares by subtraction.
GROWTH · OBSERVATION TARGETS
- Cognitive flexibilityWithin the task
- Empathy and respect for diversityBridge
- Everyday resilienceWay of working
Executive functions Holistic competencies Mental toughness
BRIDGE · SAFETY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR OTHERS
“The line on the ship”
Ships have a load limit too. Who makes sure we do not go over it?
5′Welcome
10′Warm-up
22′Academic core
18′Application & creation
12′Bridge
8′Reflection
Sparks · 6–8
“The boat that holds the most coins” · 75′ · 4 pages
Bridge: “The line on the ship”
See the samples for the other zones on the Academy page →
THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
How they learn in Sparks.
Play & exploration
Real questions, materials, small trials and creative discovery.
Modelling & short guidance
Direct teaching comes in short doses, with clear modelling.
Storytelling, making & collaboration
Knowledge takes shape through stories, models, drama and working together.
Retrieval, presentation & reflection
Children recall, present and begin to describe what helped them.
As much support as they need. As much autonomy as they can take.
The emphasis in this zone. Support adapts to the child and the task, not just their age.
- Targeted Supportmodelling · guidance · scaffolding
- Active Participationeffort · exploration · feedback
- Gradual Responsibilityorganisation · choices · reflection
- Growing Autonomyself-regulation · initiative · persistence
- Independent Application & Transferat school · in new contexts · in life
MORE SUPPORTMORE AUTONOMY
PROGRESS IN SPARKS
The educators observe, and the child learns what it means to improve.
- SPARKSThe educators observe
- EXPLORERSThe child compares
- PATHFINDERSReads their own path
- DESIGNERSHelps decide what is tracked
In Sparks the systematic observation is done by the two educators. Children do not score themselves; they learn to reflect, take feedback and recognise the next step.
Transferable does not mean “they did it once more”. We look for signs that a capability is used in a new, unpractised context, on more than one occasion.
AFTER EVERY LESSON
Lesson Report
8 TIMES A YEAR
Unit Report
TWICE A YEAR
Developmental Profile
THREE TIMES A YEAR
Parent meeting
Measurable progress on every objective. No comparison with other children.See sample reports on the Academy page →
THE STARTING POINT
First, we get to know the family. Then, the right start.
Meeting the parents
We talk about your expectations, our approach and how the Academy and the family work together.
A Developmental Introduction with the child
We get to know the child and where they are starting from. It is not a test; there is no pass or fail.
A shared decision on the start
Together we agree the zone, the level (Junior or Senior) and the support the child needs.
Junior and Senior. Every zone has two levels, Junior and Senior: the same architecture, a different degree of challenge and autonomy. We choose the level together, after we get to know each other.