The Everything ECE Podcast

Carla Ward and Tammy Kelly from Early Childhood Coach team discuss breaking down barriers beyond physical ones on the Everything ECE podcast. Tammy shares experiences with children with disabilities in childcare, highlighting challenges like lack of expertise and parental concerns. Emphasizing the importance of fostering independence and inclusivity, she stresses the need for guidance and support...

Educators understand that the period from 0 to 6 years old is crucial for a child's development. This time frame is characterized by rapid growth and significant cognitive, emotional, and social developmental milestones. However, despite this understanding, infants—those in the earliest stages of this developmental window—are often overlooked when it comes to professional development for educators...

Join Carla Ward, host of The Everything ECE Podcast, and special guest Kisa Marx as they continue the insightful conversation from episode #145 on rethinking weapon play in early childhood education. In this episode, Carla and Kisa dive deep into the underlying reasons behind adults' hesitations toward embracing weapon play. They explore the cultural, psychological, and developmental factors that...

Weapon play in Early Childhood Education is a controversial topic, to say the least. In this episode Carla Ward and Samuel Broaden come at this topic from different point of views. Samuel offers some lovely insight to why it isn't so much about the weapon play but the conversations we have with children surrounding the topic based on our lived experiences and those of the children we work with. Tu...

In this episode of the Everything ECE Podcast, host, Carla Ward welcomes Anthony Delauney, the financial "dadvisor." Anthony is a father of two, a Certified Family Financial Planner, a Behavioral Financial Advisor, and the author of the award-winning "Owning the Dash" children's book series. He shares his innovative approach to teaching children foundational financial skills by focusing on life sk...

Join Carla Ward on The Everything ECE Podcast as she discusses a critical aspect of early childhood education: giving children autonomy. Carla explains why fostering a sense of independence is essential for young learners' development and offers practical advice on how educators can support autonomy in their programs. Tune in to discover effective strategies for empowering children to make choices...

Explore practical strategies and insights for creating an inclusive learning environment for left-handed learners in early childhood education on The Everything ECE Podcast. Join host Carla Ward as she shares valuable tips to support the unique needs of left-handed children in the classroom. Show Notes: https://www.elfoundations.com/142 ⁠How to Work with Carla⁠

In this episode, Carla Ward is joined by Katie-Lynn Parkinson of ECCDC to dive into the crucial topic of risk and challenge in early learning programs. Together, they explore why educators should lean into potential risks rather than shy away from them. Katie-Lynn breaks down the distinction between risk and challenge versus hazards or dangers, offering clarity on how embracing the former fosters...

Dive into the world of rhyme and colossal words for kids with host Carla Ward and special guest Colette Hiller on The Everything ECE Podcast! Join Carla as she sits down with Colette, a writer, arts producer, and author of the critically acclaimed poetry book "The B on Your Thumb." With a background in acting on the London stage and appearances in iconic films like "Aliens," Colette brings a uniqu...

This week on The Everything ECE Podcast, host Carla Ward is joined by special guest Faigie Kobre, a seasoned early childhood educator passionate about fostering creativity in the classroom. In the episode titled "Ditching the Copycat Crafts Mindset," Faigie shares her expertise gained from years as an early childhood teacher and director and leading professional development workshops. Learn about...

This week, Susie Beghin joins Carla Ward on the podcast to explore the exciting realm of STEAM in Early Childhood Education. As they chat, you can almost feel the energy as they discuss the wonders of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, all within the context of early learning. There's a particular moment where Carla is illuminated by the realization of just how seamlessly...

Jamee Herbert joins Carla Ward on The Everything ECE Podcast to talk tech and putting systems in place to lighten the burden on Early Childhood Education. Jamee walks us through the Bridgecare system and how it supports administrative duties in child care and the parents in those programs.  Show notes: elfoundations.com/137 How to Work with Carla

Dive into the chilling connection between childhood experiences and serial killers in our latest podcast episode! From early trauma to criminal behaviour, we uncover the importance of early childhood education in rewriting the script for future generations. Tune in to unlock the secrets of the mind and learn how nurturing environments can be a powerful antidote to the allure of violence. Show Note...

Heather Jackson, owner of The Sunflower School, joins Carla Ward on The Everything ECE Podcast to discuss verbs as projects. As a Reggio-inspired educator, Heather has spent many years researching, reflecting and discussing Early Childhood Education and how to take a child’s interest using verbs and play schemas to begin a project without falling into the “theme” trap. By using verbs and play sche...

Ashley Jefferson joins Carla Ward on The Everything ECE Podcast to discuss why bringing puppetry arts into the classroom can change the teaching game.  Puppets can bring so much value to your program. Ashley dives into the importance of being present, not overthinking how to use the puppets and the learning possibilities that come with puppets! Show Notes: www.elfoundations.com/134 How to Work wit...

In a recent podcast episode, Cara Caudle engages in a discussion with host Carla Ward, delving into the nuances of trauma and trauma-informed practices. Cara emphasizes the importance of adopting a holistic approach to development, particularly in early childhood, where she highlights the significance of focusing on social-emotional domains. She underscores how trauma-informed practices compel us...

It was almost 4 years ago when our worlds were flipped upside down. We went from living our lives unmasked and in close proximity to others to, almost overnight, keeping our distance and being masked up. Even though it was another life ago, we are still working through the consequences of COVID-19, especially for our youngest learners. Socio-emotionally, children are not where they would have been...

Angelica Celinska from The Voice of Early Childhood joins Carla Ward to talk about advocacy for Early Childhood. It doesn't have to be big, grand and scary, but we can still step outside our comfort zone and make a big impact. Angelica shares actionable ways that we can make a difference. Show Notes: https://www.elfoundations.com/131 How to Work with Carla

Beck Goodman joins Carla Ward on The Everything ECE Podcast to talk about how to build early literacy skills in a play-based, child-led environment. This podcast is a must listen as educators have the ability to bring a love of literacy into the lives of children, if done correctly. Beck shares tons of examples, tips and tricks that educators can implement immediately in their programs.  Show Note...

Candi Vajana joins Carla Ward on The Everything ECE Podcast to discuss her career as a nanny and how she combatted the stigma as a babysitter, a struggle for nannies and Early Childhood Educators alike. She shares her experience as a nanny working with high-net-worth families and how her consultancy and specialized training, The Experienced Nanny, equips families and nannies with all the childcare...

Lisa Lalonde joins podcast host, Carla Ward, to engage in a comprehensive exploration of Early Childhood Education (ECE), offering a full 360-degree view of the profession. They address the prevalent issue of ECEs deserving higher pay but go beyond that, delving into the various push and pull factors influencing whether individuals in this profession choose to stay or leave. This conversation cove...

In this episode, we sit down with Kisa Marx, an extraordinary educator and childcare owner whose journey in 2023 took an unexpected turn when she began to heed the whispers of the universe. Join us as Kisa shares her remarkable story of discovery, from her initial steps as an educator to the pivotal moment when she realized there was something more waiting for her. Through listening to the univers...

Carla Ward, host of The Everything ECE Podcast, explores the vital role early childhood educators play in understanding and nurturing children's emotional development. Beginning with a discussion on emotional milestones and the impact of the pandemic, Carla emphasizes the neurological foundations of emotional regulation, involving key areas like the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Drawing from per...

Carla Ward is joined by Instructional Designer and Enneagram coach, Alyssa Sanford to talk about the different Enneagram types and the personalities that they each represent. Alyssa dives into how knowing one's enneagram and that of their team members can really amplify and improve team dynamics.  Show Notes: elfoundations.com/125 How to Work with Carla

Author and Early Childhood speaker, Stacy Benge, joins Carla Ward on the podcast this week to talk about her new book, The Whole Child Alphabet, and how educators can bring the alphabet to play and WHY it's so important. The tips she shares are perfect for when parents ask how their child is learning their alphabet in a play-based program. Show Notes: www.elfoundations.com/124 ⁠How to Work with Ca...