Little Sparks, Big Starts for Early Years Educators
Understand young children’s brains. Strengthen your everyday practice.
Free early brain development training for everyone working with babies and young children. Understand the science behind the interactions you already have every day, and how talking, playing, responding and building relationships help shape children’s developing brains.
There are two ways to complete the training. Classroom lessons are recommended for those delivering CPD training or teaching in higher education. Alternatively, the self-led learning allows you to explore the content independently and complete the training at your own pace.
Choose the learning approach that works best for you.
Little Sparks, Big Starts for Early Years Educators is a free training programme for nursery practitioners, childminders, apprentices, room leaders, managers, tutors and anyone working with babies and young children.
The programme is designed to refresh existing knowledge, build understanding of early brain development, and connect the science to everyday practice.
The resources support the following Early Years Educator qualifications:
- NCFE CACHE Level 2 Award in an Introduction to Neuroscience in Early Years
- NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for Working in the Early Years Sector (Early Years Educator)
- NCFE CACHE Level 3 Award in Working with Babies and Young Children Under 2 Years
Learning on your own?
Free self-led learning you can complete online in your own time. Simply register with your name and email address to access four lessons (each one takes 30-50 minutes to complete) followed by a final assessment.
Training a team or teaching a course?
What's available in the classroom pack?
Delivery instructions
Five lesson slide decks (including delivery notes)
Lesson 1. The brain: role, structure and function
Understand the basics of how the brain works and why this matters for young children.Lesson 2. Early brain development
Explore how experiences and relationships help build and strengthen brain connections.Lesson 3. Epigenetics and stress
Understand how children's environments and experiences can influence development.Lesson 4. Neuroplasticity and resilience
Discover how brains adapt and the importance of supportive relationships.Lesson 5. Brain development and the caregiver
Connect the science directly with everyday interactions between children and the adults who care for them.Course completion certificate template
We are keen to be guided by tutors and value your input as critical friends. Our resources are always in development so we can keep up with the latest research; if you have any suggestions or feedback, or if you’d like us to help with training, please contact us at lsbs@kindredsquared.org.uk or complete this short feedback survey.
Little Sparks, Big Starts
Little Sparks, Big Starts resources have been adapted and optimised from the original Secondary Education Early Neurodevelopment (SEEN) programme.
Alongside the Early Years Educators resources, we've created Little Sparks, Big Starts for Parents to support families to understand the way young children’s brains develop.
These are a series of four parent-facing leaflets that have been developed in partnership with Ark Start and explain how babies’ and young children’s brains develop during the first five years. The content is grounded in research and written in accessible language to help parents understand what’s happening inside their child’s developing brain and why everyday interactions matter so much.
The leaflets are designed to be used in early years settings, providing a practical tool to support conversations with families and strengthen the home–setting partnership.
By sharing consistent, evidence-based messages, Little Sparks, Big Starts for Parents helps ensure that every family feels informed, confident and empowered to give their child a strong start in life.