Play Before Pencils

How do you explain the power of play to those who still see it as “just fun”? In this episode, we explore how to have meaningful, empathetic conversations with parents and fellow educators who are unsure about using play as the foundation for early learning. We’ll unpack the research, the real-world results, and the practical language you can use to bridge the gap between developmental theory and...

In this episode, we explore what assessment looks like in a play-focused preschool classroom. Rather than relying on checklists or tests, we talk about how teachers become researchers—documenting children’s words, actions, and creations to understand their thinking and guide curriculum. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

A new school year has begun and separation anxiety is something you've likely been dealing with as a preschool teacher. In today's episode we'll discuss the important role of teachers and parents in supporting young children through those tough, but developmentally normal, periods of separation anxiety. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

What do current hiring practices have to do with preschool? Today we explore the skills that today's employers are looking for in potential hires and how the work we do in early childhood education has a big impact on preparing children for future employment opportunities.  Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

In the last episode, we talked about communicating with parents, and in this follow-up episode we will focus on having difficult conversations--how to handle situations when you need to discuss emotionally-charged topics with parents and what to do if you have a parent that is simply difficult to work with. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

Whether you’re a preschool teacher, daycare provider, or administrator, the connection you build with parents can make or break a child’s success in your care. Today we'll discuss why strong communication with parents is so critical in early childhood education and how we can communicate well, even when we’re juggling 1000 other things!

Celebrate the one year anniversary of the launch of the Play Before Pencils Podcast with me! We'll take a look back over the year and what it's taught us about the importance of play in early childhood classrooms. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

In today's episode, we take a look at transitions--why they are hard for young children and how we can approach them with more strategy to minimize the impact they have on the students in your early childhood classroom.  Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com

As the school year nears an end, early childhood teachers are often asked the question "Is my child ready for kindergarten?" If we've done our jobs well, we can confidently say "YES!" without ever having engaged in 3 common preschool practices that actually work against a child being ready to move on in school. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com

Whole Body Listening….is it helpful or harmful in today’s early childhood classrooms? Join host Jenn Zollinger as she explores the answer to that question in this episode of the Play Before Pencils Podcast.  Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

Emergent writing is a process that requires far more support than a worksheet could ever provide. Join me as I discuss a few of the foundational skills necessary for young children to become successful writers and how to create a classroom environment that supports those skills WITHOUT the use of worksheets! Click HERE to save 20% on my course Ditch the Worksheets: Emergent Writing in Play-based C...

Behavior charts are designed to help children visualize their behavior in real time and they are popular because they are simple to implement and seem to keep classrooms running smoothly. But beneath the surface, there is a darker side to these systems and they can wind up undermining a child's intrinsic motivation to do good and leave them feeling emotionally unstable in the classroom. Join m...

In today's episode I talk about the importance of giving children freedom to create. We’ll explore why creativity matters, how freedom fuels it, and simple ways you can encourage the imagination of the children in your classroom every day. Visit the show notes for links to some of the resources I use in my art cart. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

In this episode I share some of my favorite resources and supplies as an ECE. Link are below! Books: The Whole Child Alphabet What if Everybody Understood Child Development? Let the Children Play Podcasts: Not Just Cute The Early Childhood Research Podcast Kindergarten Ready Instagram Accounts: Cream City Teacher Confident Kids Therapy The Intentional Educator Music: Kira Willey Emily Arrow Kimbo...

In this episode we'll explore the topic of guided play, the role it has in a child-led classroom, and how to expertly execute it. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

In the final episode of my Unintended Consequences of Teacher-led Classrooms, I explore the topic of building relationships in the early childhood classroom and comparing how relationships might differ in teacher-led classrooms vs. child-led classrooms.

Teacher-led classrooms are so focused on instruction that there is often little time left for observation. When this powerful tool is left out of the assessment equation, teachers are at a disadvantage in understanding what their students actually know and where they could use some extra support. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

Welcome to week 2 of my series "Unintended Consequences of Teacher-led Classrooms". Today we'll take a closer look at play in teacher-led environments and how a focus on following instructions and completing tasks can have a negative impact on a child's development when they take precedence over play. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

In this 4-part series, we will explore the unintended consequences of teacher-led models of education in early childhood classrooms. This week we are exploring the consequences of not offering choice to students and how a child-led model better supports their growth and development through choice. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

We know that when learning happens in context, there is a much greater chance that it will stick. But sometimes, children are interested in topics that fall outside of the context of their current environments or experiences--is following that lead OK? Find out my thoughts on today's episode! Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

There are so many resources out there about how to teach literacy in early childhood classrooms, but Stacy Benge gets to the heart of how that developmental process actually unfolds for young children in her book "The Whole Child Alphabet". Her easy-to-read style of writing makes this resource a must-have for every early childhood educator and my interview with her today will provide you...

Sharing is such an integral part of learning in early childhood and a LOT of children struggle to grasp this concept. But the good news? This is also a time when they’re incredibly curious and eager to learn. We just need to guide them in the right direction. In today's episode I discuss a small change I made in my classroom that had a big pay-off when it came to children navigating the compli...

JaneAnn Benson is a wealth of information when it comes to building strong early childhood teams. Kick off your new school year with some extra knowledge and skills that will help you find success in creating a collaborative and healthy working relationship with fellow team members in your classroom. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

Have you ever taken the time to consider that just because something is common does not necessarily mean it's appropriate? Today I hit on several very common practices in early childhood classrooms and discuss whether they are actually appropriate for the children in our care. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podast

There are a tremendous number of benefits to incorporating storytelling into early childhood settings, but not all of us are comfortable stepping outside of simply reading a book and really getting into the good stuff. In today's episode, Laura Shea talks about the various components of storytelling, why it is an important practice when working with young children, and how to start introducing...