How Preschool Teachers Do It

Did you know that there is a Ladder of Participation that helps us understand at what level children are meaningfully involved in what they are doing? Join Cynthia and Alison to learn about the ladder and the levels at which children participate in activities. Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/howpreschoo...

Join Cynthia and Alison as they "circle back" to a topic they discussed years ago.  Has circle time / morning meeting improved since then?  What other strategies can we add now that years have gone by? Don't miss this special circle back episode of How Preschool Teachers Do It! Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebo...

It is true that in games and in life, there may be one winner. We can teach children that one person won, AND in some ways, we all win. Join Cynthia and Alison to learn how one person can be declared the winner while we all win something. Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/howpreschoolteachersdoit Learn mo...

One of the cognitive skills we want to encourage in the early learning years is persistence. Intentional productive struggles help children to think more deeply and build persistence. Join Cynthia and Alison to learn the meaning of a productive struggle and how to plan for them. Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.faceb...

Have you encountered very young children who get upset when they are not perfect? Do you want to avoid creating perfectionism when interacting with young children? Join Cynthia and Alison for this listener-request-inspired episode focusing on strategies to deal with and avoid perfectionism. Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https...

Join Cynthia and Alison for a discussion about what to do when the desire to avoid cleaning up becomes contagious in an early childhood setting. Note: The only AI used in this episode is the image - everything we say is all us humans! Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/howpreschoolteachersdoit Learn more a...

It's Memorial Day in the United States, and so we have a rewind of the How Preschool Teachers Do It Podcast! Time-travel back with us to episode 233, originally released in 2023. We will be back with original episodes next week! Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/howpreschoolteachersdoit Learn more about C...

There are many reasons why a child may feel lonely, and they might not be able to express them. Join Cynthia and Alison for a discussion about the signs, impact, and strategies related to childhood loneliness. Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/howpreschoolteachersdoit Learn more about Cynthia's work, incl...

For generations, and still today, there has been a belief that young children need to "cry it out" when they are upset. We now know the long-term impact of crying it out on children's psyches as they head toward adulthood. Are you trying to get someone to understand why you don't let your child "cry it out?" Then, this episode is for you! Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdo...

In this episode of the How Preschool Teachers Do It Podcast, Cynthia and Alison discuss the stages through which children perceive their caregivers. Join us to see you through their eyes and discover how we can support their changing perspectives on who we are and what we do for them. Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www...

Have you seen the standards that govern expectations for children's learning? Many people work with and raise young children without knowing the expectations for their learning and development. Join Cindy and Alison as they discuss the value of understanding the standards and how they impact early educators and families. Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to...

What's the difference between today's AI toys and talking toys from the past? Today's AI toys can learn from their interactions with children and adults. Join Cynthia and Alison for a discussion about what these toys can and maybe shouldn't do. Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/howpreschoolteachersdoit Le...

In a rare How Preschool Teachers Do It occurrence, Cindy and Alison disagree! In this episode, learn about the new tech being developed and decide how you feel about it. Who do you agree with? Let us know by visiting https://HowPreschoolTeachersDoIt.com and navigating to the poll page. Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://ww...

Children's basic needs must be met for them to be the best version of themselves. Join Cynthia and Alison for a discussion about what it looks like when those needs are not met, which unfortunately happens more often than we may think. Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/howpreschoolteachersdoit Learn more...

Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion about the concept that two truths can coexist for children, their families, and their early educators simultaneously. Why? Because of human behavior! Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/howpreschoolteachersdoit Learn more about Cynthia's work, including professional de...

Clapping games are more than just a source of fun. Join Cynthia and Alison for a discussion about the skills built when we play clapping games and why it's concerning that we often don't know many of them. Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/howpreschoolteachersdoit Learn more about Cynthia's work, includin...

Note:  The co-hosts of this podcast are not mental health professionals.  If you or someone you love is struggling with loss and grief, please seek the help of a qualified mental health professional.   From the viewpoint of early educators, Cynthia and Alison discuss the impact of grief and loss on young children. Join this episode to consider the importance of supporting children through these ex...

Do you say "centers," "houskeeping area," "show and tell," or other common early childhood words without thinking about whether they matter? What we say impacts how we act and how we view expectations of young children. In this episode of "How Preschool Teachers Do It," Cynthia and Alison discuss the importance of broadening our language to help everyone. Check out our website:   https://www.howpr...

Are there lessons about taking care of yourself that you wish you had learned when you were younger? Did you understand why you were told to eat certain foods or be active? Join Cindy and Alison as they discuss how we can help today's children establish healthy habits as part of their everyday lives. Note: Only the image for today's episode was generated by AI.  Cynthia and Alison couldn't be more...

Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion of the abstract things we say to children and why that only provides them with "nonsense data." Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/howpreschoolteachersdoit Learn more about Cynthia's work, including professional development, family education, and consulting opportunit...

Did you know we actually have more than five senses? Interoceptive awareness is the ability to sense and interpret signals from within the body. Do you wonder why your child is not warm when you are? Do you think about why children don't realize they feel sick? In this episode, Cindy and Alison discuss this important sense and how it manifests in our interactions with young children. Check out our...

Have you heard about the salespeople long ago who would try to sell cures that did not work? Unfortunately, there are people who try to do the same thing with strategies for early learners that are not research-based and proven to be effective. Join Cynthia and Alison for a discussion about what does not have an easy cure and what you can do. Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteache...

Cynthia and Allison discuss that some activities we do are not essential milestones. Why do we do them? Do they still have value? Join us for a robust discussion on what constitutes a milestone and what does not. Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/howpreschoolteachersdoit Learn more about Cynthia's work, i...

Adults use sayings to teach children life lessons, but do those sayings make sense to young children? Do the sayings even reflect real-life skills? Join Cynthia and Alison for a discussion of sayings that baffle early learners (and. maybe us, too). Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/howpreschoolteachersdoi...

Should we go to the crying child? What happens if we don't? Join Cynthia and Alison as they discuss Eric Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, with a focus on the first stage of trust versus mistrust. Check out our website:   https://www.howpreschoolteachersdoit.com/ Be sure to like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/howpreschoolteachersdoit Learn more about Cynthia's work, inclu...