Stories That Stick

On this episode, I'm joined by educator, workshop facilitator, and founder of The Intentional Educator, Cathy Belgrave, for a thoughtful conversation about expanding the way we think about stories. While many of us associate storytelling with books or oral narratives, Cathy invites us to consider a much broader perspective. Together, we explore how children communicate through play, art, conv...

In this Season 3 opener of "Stories That Stick," Laura is joined by educator, author, and founder of Your Natural Learner and Bridge Academy, Leah McDermott, for a conversation about courage and child-led learning. Leah has spent years helping families and educators break free from rigid, traditional models so children can learn in ways that honor who they are. In this episode, they explore t...

Today, I’m joined by Beck Goodman who is an early childhood learning expert specializing in early literacy. Her company’s mission is to end the preschool power struggles around learning by equipping grownups with the tools they need to use play-based approaches that foster connection, not conflict. We discuss joy and child interest as the cornerstone to supporting early literacy development. ...

Today, I’m joined by Jenn Zollinger from Play Before Pencils to talk about emergent writing and its deep connection to storytelling. As an early childhood educator and advocate for play-based learning, Jenn shares how she transitioned from a teacher-led, academic-focused preschool setting to a more child-led, developmentally responsive approach. We explore the magic that happens when children are...

Jean-Mari Dagarin, from The Early Childhood POV, joins me today to talk about a growing concern in early education: 'schoolification'—the push to bring formal academic practices into early childhood spaces. With over 30 years of experience as an early childhood advocate, administrator, college professor, and developmentally appropriate practice expert, Jean Marie has seen firsthand how these press...

In this episode, I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Julia B. Lindsey, Ph. D., a leading expert in foundational literacy and the author of Reading Above the Fray: Research-based Routines for Developing Decoding Skills . With a wealth of experience as both an educator and researcher, Dr. Lindsey has made significant contributions to the field of literacy, including the creation of widely used knowledge-ric...

Laura welcomes Dr. Jasmine Moses, an anti-bias early childhood educator dedicated to promoting anti-bias and anti-racist practices within early childhood education. Jasmine shares insights into how anti-bias education can help raise more aware, kind, and forgiving children. This chat covers the importance of addressing biases, involving the community in this collective effort, and using children's...

In this episode of “Stories That Stick,” Laura and Ms. Ashley chat about storytelling and how it supports children to learn about the world around them. Ashley is THE early childhood enthusiast and creator of Nguzo Babies. She’s dedicated to exposing children to new cultures and languages through storytelling and puppetry. Together Laura and Ashley explore how storytelling can build connections an...

In this episode of “Stories That Stick,” Laura and Nyetta chat about homeschooling with their children and how they understand the Science of Reading. Nyetta is the self-proclaimed Mom Playologist and founder of The Activity Playhouse. Nyetta shares about her journey as a stay-at-home mom and homeschooling parents that naturally learned the importance of play in children’s development.  Highl...

Tune in and listen as Laura shares part 2 to the story of Tea and Honey (listen to  Tea & Honey: Part 1  first!)! She's fully invested in the family of robins that built a nest outside her kitchen window. Find out what happened after they built their nest. If you’re ready to start telling stories of your own, but need a little nudge, you can grab some story cards  here  to...

In this episode, Laura welcomes Dr. Ben Mardell, a mentor who has profoundly influenced her understanding of storytelling and story acting. Dr. Mardell, the Atelierista and Pedagogista at the Newtown School, shares his extensive experience in early childhood education. Together they talk about the excitement and learning that storytelling brings to young children. Highlights :  Power Dynamics...

This story is for one of "Stories That Stick" biggest fans. Enjoy Manu, thanks for all your support. If you’re ready to start telling stories of your own, but need a little nudge, you can grab some story prompts here to help! Follow Laura on Instagram: @little.stories.that.stick Check out her stories on YouTube: Little Stories That Stick  

In this heartfelt and deeply personal episode, Laura is joined by Kisa Marks, founder of The Play Lab Foundation. Together, they explore how stories support humans through trauma. Kisa shares her commitment to addressing the needs of underserved children, offering them the opportunities they need to flourish. When Kisa first came across Laura’s storytelling style, she realized she has always...

Imagine seahorses that live in the sky amongst the clouds and rainbows. There you'll find a family of seaunicorns. But one day, one of the seaunicorns wakes up to a problem. Her horn is gone! Tune in to find out what happened to it. If you’re ready to start telling stories of your own, but need a little nudge, you can grab some story cards  here to help! Follow Laura on Instagram: @littl...

Laura chats with Melysa Mei, of PreK Spot, to discuss the challenges and rewards of implementing play-based learning in public schools with box curricula. Melysa has administrative and family support to follow the children’s lead in her NYC Pre-K classroom. With this she adapts her teaching to foster play and storytelling in her classroom. Highlights: Boxed Curricula : Laura and Melysa both have u...

Have you ever heard of an Ankylosaurus who's favorite food is letters of the alphabet? When you have children that are interested in letters and LOVE dinosaurs, why not mix the two into a simple, short story? Remember stories don't have to be elaborate, you can tell them in 1 or 2 minutes. If you’re ready to start telling stories of your own, but need a little nudge, you can grab some story prompt...

Laura chats with Jocelyn  Manzanarez , founder of Circle Time Success and incredible singer. Through her Seattle based early childhood music education program and online resources, Jocelyn is bringing the fun back to teaching and learning with music and movement. Laura found Jocelyn a few years ago and has since been incorporating her music into her stories. Together they discuss the impactfu...

Tune in and listen as Laura shares a story from her life that's happening right now! She's following the journey of a family of robins from outside her kitchen window. Find out what happened when they tried to build their nest. If you’re ready to start telling stories of your own, but need a little nudge, you can grab some story cards here to help! Follow Laura on Instagram:  @little.stories....

  Laura invites Melissa McCall of Moving Little Minds to chat about early literacy, play, and explicit instruction. Both Laura and Melissa have experience in preschool classrooms where there are curricula that must be implemented to explicitly teach early literacy skills like phonological awareness. Together they discuss how to embrace a play-based approach, while also recognizing that s...

Tune in to hear Laura tell a story that she has a familiar character and storyline. She tells this story regularly but changes parts of it along the way. The elf and it's problem is always the same, but how the elf breaks the magic spell can chance each time. If you’re ready to start telling stories of your own, but need a little nudge, you can grab some story prompts   here   to help! F...

Laura chats with her pal and co-facilitator of The Nature and Play Based Consortium , Ade Hofmann. Ade is the founder of Nature Play All Day and she  left over a decade of traditional teaching experience behind when she traded fluorescent lights for sunshine. Her philosophy for early childhood education is that living is learning and that play is an essential right to for all!   Tog...

Tune in to hear Laura tell a story inspired by the time she witnessed a female leather backed sea turtle laying eggs in Tortugera, a village on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast. This story is a great way to incorporate new vocabulary and initiate conversations about the behaviors and habits of animals. If you’re ready to start telling stories of your own, but need a little nudge, you can grab som...

Laura chats with her life-long mentor, Marina Boni, a fierce storytelling advocate and program director in the Early Childhood Department in Boston Public Schools. Through their work with Boston Public Schools, Laura and Marina had the joy and privilege to learn and work with Vivian Paley. Together, they share the importance of adults telling stories to young children and encourage listeners to tr...

Tune in to hear Laura tell a story that incorporates a repeating refrain. Change the grizzly monster to any character easily! Children love chiming in with the refrain and may start to incorporate it into their play. If you’re ready to start telling stories of your own, but need a little nudge, you can grab some story prompts here to help! Follow Laura on Instagram: @little.stories.that.stick Chec...

  In the second guest interview of season 2 of "Stories That Stick," Laura engages in a conversation with Stacy Benge, an early childhood speaker and author, who believes in the power of simple, authentic experiences for children's learning. Both Stacy and Laura advocate for child-led play as a cornerstone for solid foundational development in children. They explore the fascinating concept of...