The Intentional ECE

In this episode’s conversation, early years leader and Playoneering creator Hayley Peacock sheds light on what it truly means to embed playful rigour into learning. Drawing inspiration from the Reggio Emilia Approach, Hayley shares how children’s competence, curiosity, and connectedness are honoured across her early years settings and future-focused school. Together, we talk about inquiry, designi...

This anniversary episode reflects on one year of podcasting and the power of educators coming together in dialogue. Through conversations with guests from around the world, shared themes of trust, care, agency, play, materials, and belonging emerged—deepening understanding and offering hope. A celebration of collective learning and the relationships that shape intentional practice. The Intentional...

In this seasonal episode, Cathy explores the gift of slowing down through a gentle reading of Bear and Wolf by Daniel Salmieri. As the year shifts - into winter’s stillness for some and summer’s brightness for others - this episode invites educators to pause, notice the small wonders around them, and reconnect with curiosity and connection. A quiet moment of calm and reflection for early childhood...

In this episode, we explore what it means to re-member - to piece back together the connections that have been quieted by objectivity, efficiency, and the pressures of modern education. Drawing on the ideas of David Jardine, Shelley Brandon, and Robin Wall Kimmerer, we reflect on wholeheartedness, reciprocity, and our shared belonging with children and the world. A gentle invitation to return to r...

n this episode, kindergarten educator Chaylene Clarke joins the conversation to share what it means to move beyond curriculum and teach through connection. Drawing from her work in Ontario’s full-day kindergarten program, Chaylene reflects on how slowing down, listening deeply, and nurturing relationships with children and families opens space for authentic, meaningful learning. Together, we explo...

What does it mean to truly listen to children - not just with our ears, but with our eyes, presence, and curiosity? This episode explores how our capacity to listen supports children’s rights to play, participate, express, rest, and belong. We reflect on how educators can take intentional, actionable steps to uphold these rights in their practice. Convention on the Rights of the Child

In this gentle and deeply reflective conversation, longtime Reggio-inspired educator Mary Bell invites us to slow down and notice the ordinary moments that shape our teaching and our lives. Together, we explore how being present, building trust, and embracing imperfection help us see the beauty and meaning in everyday interactions with children. Mary reminds us that joy and connection aren’t found...

In this rich conversation with Dr. Misty Paterson, founder of Pop-Up Studio, we explore what it means to make care matter in teaching and learning. Misty invites us to move beyond transmission-based models toward inquiry, creativity, and awe - ways of engaging that honour the complexity of teaching and the wholeness of learners. Together, we reflect on how care, curiosity, and connection can shape...

In this episode, Cathy reflects on a series of experiences that reveal the hidden systems shaping our teaching and learning.  Through these stories, she explores how awareness helps us make the invisible visible — uncovering the quiet ways we teach children (and ourselves) what to value. Cathy also shares how community and collaboration among educators can offer a way forward: from consuming to cr...

Play is more than fun - it’s foundational. In this episode, Tina Geers, play advocate and founder of the Alberta Early Childhood Play Connection Network, joins the conversation to explore play pedagogy and what it means to protect play in our learning environments and communities. Together, we reflect on how play is both simple and complex, what educators can do to connect with play, and how honou...

What happens when we resist the urge to step in - to help, to guide, to teach - and instead give space for a child’s experience to unfold? In this episode, Cathy reflects on the power of pausing in our work with children. Through moments of play, disappointment, and discovery, she explores how a simple pause can nurture agency, deepen connection, and invite joy back into learning. The Intentional...

What if picture books were less about teaching and more about connecting? In this episode of The Intentional ECE Podcast , we explore how stories can open spaces for laughter, wonder, and empathy — helping children make sense of their worlds and build relationships with others. Join Cathy as she reflects on how educators can use picture books as invitations for connection, curiosity, and shared me...

In this episode, Megan Graham from Around the Birch Tree joins the conversation to share how play creates space for families to slow down, connect, and rediscover play together. From these family moments, we move to the larger circle of community - exploring how strong connections among families nurture parents, enrich children’s lives, and support collective wellbeing. It’s an invitation to refle...

In this episode, we’re joined by Susan Harris MacKay and Matt Karlsen from the Center for Playful Inquiry to reflect on what true growth for educators can look like. Moving beyond traditional notions of professional development, we explore how transformation emerges when educators engage in dialogue and lean into community. Together, we consider how playful inquiry can sustain us, challenge our as...

In this episode, we explore connection as the heartbeat of pedagogy with Bree Jackson of The Humble Educator . Together, we reflect on how authentic relationships with children and families create the foundation for meaningful learning. Bree shares insights from her 15 years in education and her role as a pedagogical leader, reminding us that when we truly see and honor each child’s world, we open...

What if education was less about outcomes and more about learning how to live well together? In this episode of The Intentional ECE Podcast , we explore the deeper purpose of education—beyond curriculum and standards—through play, relationship, trust, and community. Join Cathy as she reflects on how educators can create spaces where children experience belonging, agency, and the joy of learning as...

What if classrooms were seen not as static places, but as living, breathing organisms that grow and adapt with children? In this episode, guest Alona Yildirim shares her 25 years of experience as an early childhood educator, leader, and co-founder of Documentation Studio Türkiye. Together, we explore how learning environments act as co-teachers—shaping curiosity, inspiring creativity, and making l...

In this episode, Cathy sits down with artist-educator and consultant Jesús Oviedo to explore how materials act as a language of inquiry in early childhood education. Jesús shares how encounters with “intelligent materials” open pathways for children’s thinking, expression, and collaboration — and how educators, by paying attention to this dialogue, can deepen their own practice. Together, they ref...

In this episode, we explore the power of outdoor learning with April Zajko. From noticing the wonders of nature to creating spaces where children feel a deep sense of curiosity and belonging, April reminds us that the outdoors is more than a backdrop - it’s a teacher in its own right. Together, we reflect on how embracing nature can nurture belonging, resilience, creativity, and joy for both child...

In this episode, Shirley Rempel—family child care provider, play advocate, and early learning leader—talks with us about the depth and value of home-based care. Shirley shares her experiences running a day home for over 16 years, her commitment to child-led, play-based learning, and the importance of advocacy for early childhood education in Alberta and beyond. To learn more about Shirley’s work y...

What does it truly mean for children to have agency in early childhood settings? In this thought-provoking episode, Marta Skrzypczak invites us to consider how autonomy, democratic practices, and systems like children’s councils can support meaningful participation. Drawing inspiration from Janusz Korczak’s legacy, Marta shares insights into moving beyond small choices to real, empowered action. L...

What if the path to literacy doesn’t begin with letters and sounds—but with movement, play, and connection? In this episode, Stacy Benge, M.S.—early childhood educator, speaker, and author of The Whole Child Alphabet —joins me to talk about how literacy develops through the body, the senses, and the child’s natural curiosity. Stacy helps us unpack the real foundations of literacy, from language de...

In this episode, we explore how an educator’s personal history—our beliefs, values, and lived experiences—shapes what we notice and how we interpret children’s actions and words. Drawing on insights from Beau Lotto and Ann Pelo, we reflect on perception, cultural lens, and the power of self-awareness in observation. When we look inward as we look outward, our observations become more intentional,...

In the final episode of our play and arts series, we pause to reflect. What has surfaced through playful observation, creative expression, and time spent reconnecting with our senses and surroundings? What common threads have emerged? And how might these insights shift the way we think, teach, observe, and respond?

In this third episode of our four-part play and arts series, we explore the art of observation as a form of play and creative expression. Through sensory experiences, drawing, writing, photography, and sound, educators are invited to rediscover the world around them and reconnect with curiosity, wonder, and joy Resources: Georgia Heard Center for Playful Inquiry London Drawing Group