This episode explores the transformative blended pre-K program at Prosper Independent School District in Texas, championed by Michelle Scogin, Director of Early Childhood and Learning Services. Discover how this program successfully merges special and general education along with joy, wonder, and compassion. Machelle and her amazing team are commit…

I had an experience a few months ago that began with a fantastic workshop with one of my favorite schools, and *seemed* to end with a broken down, broken into truck. But the real ending came full circle when I found that what I had been teaching that early childhood team the day before, was *exactly* what I needed to remember in that moment. File t…

Rae Pica has been a fierce advocate for children and childhood for over 40 years. And during that time she’s written a whole bookshelf full of books on the topic. Today, she’s sharing her latest addition to that bookshelf, it came out just last week, Why Play?: How to Make Play an Essential Part of Early Education. In this newest book, Rae dives in…

When Amber Unger (also known as the Cream City Teacher) began her career in education, she thought she'd be working with teenagers. As her path led her to a 4K public school classroom in the middle of a shift toward play-based learning, she discovered a new passion! Today, she helps other teachers on their own journeys to better understand and impl…

In episode 74, I introduced you to Michele Dineen-White, the creator of Play Smart Literacy in Chicago. Play Smart Literacy is a truly mobile outreach program, meaning that rather than hoping parents can overcome the burden of traveling to a specific location to receive services, Play Smart Literacy goes out into the community, particularly in vuln…

Michele Dinneen-White was working in an early education outreach program when she realized something. The program wasn’t actually reaching out to the families who needed it most. Those families were still required to find the time and the means to get their child to the center in order to receive services. And for many, that barrier was just too mu…

Challenging behaviors seem to be on the rise in preschool classrooms. Prerna Richards, of Together We Grow, specializes in supporting educators with a behavior coaching program. In this episode, she shares what she believes is behind this increase, and what can be done to better help our youngest learners. Find Show Notes : https://notjustcute.com/…

Once upon a time..... ...Happily ever after. These are common fairy tale phrases. But they're more than just staid story stems. These common phrases -- and the stories in between -- hold not only a recipe for imagination and fantasy but also for resilience. Stephanie Goloway (EdD) is a powerful advocate for the importance of imagination, play, and …

Most people associate the library with silence. But what if we associated it with play? In this episode, I’m talking with Tammie Benham, Youth Services Consultant for the Southeast Kansas Library System. Tammie believes that where libraries, children, and families intersect, magic is possible. And she’s set out to make that magic through a family e…

We started this series with the overall argument for why play is essential for human development. The next three episodes dug deep into three main themes: Why we need play for mental health and wellness, for brain development and real learning, and for soft skill development. Then, we shifted to several shorter episodes, touching on specific types …

What does fingerpainting have to do with the Space Race? In this episode, we're talking about art and creative play and their role in learning, thinking, and innovating. Show Notes: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode69Von Amanda Morgan

This episode’s focus is the dress-up area and dramatic play. We’ll talk about the powerful developmental support that comes from preschoolers dressing up and playing pretend. Show Notes: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode68Von Amanda Morgan

This episode’s focus is sensory play. We’ll take a look at why these bins full of rice, water, goop, and other media aren’t just a big mess waiting to happen, they’re a really important key to supporting healthy child development. Find Show Notes: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode67Von Amanda Morgan

This episode’s focus is the block area. We look at what’s going on in those busy building centers of the early childhood classroom, and why it’s important to keep those big spaces open for construction, even when there’s pressure to move the blocks out to make room for “real school”. Don’t underestimate the simple nature of a collection of rectangl…

While some schools may claim they’re moving away from play and toward more direct academic instruction as a way to prepare children for their future careers, business leaders repeatedly share that soft skills are becoming increasingly relevant in the workplaces of today and of the future. In this episode, we’ll talk about how pushing out play also …

This is the third episode in a nine-episode series! (Find them all here.) In this episode, we’re digging into why we play for brain development and real learning. There are many people who say they support play for young children, but question whether or not we need play in school, or who might argue that play is important, as long as we get the wo…

In this episode, we’re digging into why we play for mental health. It’s not just something we think is true or that sounds nice, it’s a claim that’s backed up by science and statistics. There’s something about play that is essential to developing and maintaining our mental health. We’ll dig into those findings and what they mean for our youngest le…

I’m excited to be kicking off something special today. For years, I’ve been speaking at workshops and conferences about the power of play in the early learning environment, which sparked the series of parent letters I’ve written, called Why We Play. This month, I’ll be sharing a special podcast series with the same name: Why We Play. Every Tuesday …

Find Show Notes Here Dr. Dale Farran has spent the better part of the last 50 years researching early childhood education. But some of her most famous research has come about rather recently, as she directs the evaluation of the Tennessee Voluntary PreK Program. This study is one of the most fascinating pieces of recent research in early childhood …

Challenging behaviors are nothing new in early childhood education. And yet, there’s something different going on. For a variety of reasons, challenging behaviors seem to be increasing both in intensity and frequency. Dayna Abraham is no stranger to challenging behaviors. As a board certified teacher and a mom to 3 neuro-divergent children, Dayna h…

I’m talking to someone I’ve wanted to share with you for a long time. One of my best friends from grad school, Kelli Barker. She’s now the director of the Adelle and Dale Young child development lab school at Utah State University. She’s sharing what a lab school is as well as what she’s learned about helping college students and preservice teacher…

Malia Hollowell is the author of The Science of Reading in Action and the creator of the site Playdough to Plato. She’s a National Board Certified educator who’s helping to put the science of reading into action with playful, hands on experiences. Her book, website, and Instagram are full of fantastic examples and resources. Her primary focus is gr…

Have you been asked how your preschool room aligns with the Science of Reading? Or maybe you’ve seen videos of two year olds reading and the sales page headlines saying that simply applying the *science* can give all toddlers the advantage they deserve? Well, in this episode, we’re adding on to the basic background and history of the science of rea…

I’ve talked and written a lot about early literacy over the years, but I’ve avoided one very popular term: The Science of Reading. I decided to keep my head down and my work research-based and just stay out of the fray of nailing down the specific jargon. But with more and more states and districts requiring “Science of Reading compliant curriculum…

Rae Pica is a force. As a speaker, consultant, and the author of over 20 books in addition to articles in many popular publications, Rae Pica has been an outspoken voice for children and childhood for more than 4 decades. Constant in that career has been her passion for protecting childhood and calling others to action. In this episode, she’s talki…

Childcare Resources of Indian River in Vero Beach, Florida began with three tenacious educators going out of their way to create something better for 25 children. Today, the ripple effect of their efforts has grown into something that impacts 3000 children and still growing. In this episode I’m talking with Childcare Resources’ executive director, …

When holistic psychologist Dr. Nicole Beurkens attends to a brain-based challenge, she doesn't look only at the ways she could change the brain. She looks at the many things that impact the brain and starts there. Nutrition, sleep, environment, input. There's so much that contributes to the challenging behaviors we see -- and we have more control o…

I'm talking with Dr. Rachel Romeo about her follow up research to Hart & Risley's famous 30 million word gap. She's sharing how language shapes development and why interactions matter beyond word counts. Show notes and links at https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode52

In this episode, I’m talking with Dr. Dana Winters, executive director of the Fred Rogers Institute about how the work of Fred Rogers continues today. It's one of my favorites. You'll want the show notes. Find them at: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode51

Early last month, NPR published an article with the title, “A top researcher says it's time to rethink our entire approach to preschool”. Maybe you saw it, or like me, maybe you had several people send it to you because they knew you’d find it fascinating. The article featured developmental psychologist and researcher Dr. Dale Farran and her reflec…

Find Show Notes at notjustcute.com/podcast/episode49 This episode comes from a livestream I did with Leaders Lounge summit organizer, Beth Cannon. We talked about her experience helping early education teams get clear about their purpose and about their process. We take on a topic that makes many educators uncomfortable – business – and talk about …

If you’ve spent much time listening to children’s music, you’ve likely heard of Laurie Berkner. And if you haven’t, you’ll be thanking me for the introduction later. Laurie Berkner has a gift not only for creating engaging music that even adults actually like, but for truly seeing, hearing, and respecting children in the process. For her, each perf…

I'm talking with Vanessa Levin of PreK Pages and Teaching Trailblazers about how we can better support each other as educators!

Meghan Fitzgerald has combined her many professional and personal experiences with her passion for learning, play, and nature, to create Tinkergarten, a program that supports caregivers in providing children with powerful outdoor play experiences. In this episode, she shares her insights on how and why playing in nature benefits every child’s devel…

I had a great conversation recently with my friend, Rae Pica, about how and why we should get parents on board with play-based, developmentally appropriate education. Show Notes: www.https://notjustcute.com/podast/episode45

You may be familiar with Sally Haughey’s amazing work through Fairy Dust Teaching, a site committed to respecting the whole child, community, play, and education as a living, breathing art form. She began the site in 2010, as a place to collect and share her own thoughts as an early childhood educator. In the eleven years since then, it has grown i…

Matis Miller is the author of the new book, The Uncontrollable Child. He’s a licensed clinical social worker and therapist and the founder, director, and supervisor of The Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy of New Jersey. Certified in both cognitive and dialectical behavior therapies, Matis brings a unique perspective on the balance point betw…

Dr. Borba's newest book, THRIVERS: The Surprising Reason Why Some Kids Struggle While Others Shine, combines scientific studies, input from dozens of researchers/experts focusing on resilience, and interviews with more than 100 young people from all walks of life. Through all of that research, Dr. Borba found something surprising: the difference be…

One year ago, Allison McDonald was teaching preschool in the state of Washington and writing her popular blog, No Time for Flash Cards. Like many other teachers, her class was suddenly canceled when the pandemic hit and the world shut down. After the initial shock, her school began talking about how they could safely move forward and continue servi…

Show Notes: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode40 After the U.S.- based National Association for the Education of Young Children – or NAEYC – launched its national accreditation system for early childhood learning programs in the early 1980s, they made an interesting observation. While their accreditation criteria frequently referenced the term…

Several years ago, Pat Rumbaugh was nicknamed “The Play Lady.” And the nickname stuck. After spending 25 years getting young people to play through her work as a PE teacher and tennis coach, she co-founded Let’s Play America and took on the task of encouraging people of ALL ages across the nation to prioritize play. We’ll be talking about why play …

I'm so excited for you to meet Heather Jackson, director of the Reggio-inspired Sunflower School. In this episode she shares her thoughts on verbs as thematic units, slowing down to capture the true intentions of the children we work with, and the beauty and importance in the magical thinking of childhood. Whether you aspire to teach specifically f…

Rae Pica is a force to be reckoned with. With her unapologetic straight-talk, she has been advocating for children and for whole child education for decades, filling shelves of books with her words and inspiring educators around the world. Her latest book, What if We taught the Way Children Learn, fits the pattern, calling into question the many in…

Today I’m talking with Dr. Nefertiti Poyner of the Devereaux Center for Resilient Children and I’m going to to tell you right now, she is an absolute delight. Educators and the children they love and teach are being stretched in every direction, Dr. Poyner shares some of the principles that create the “ordinary magic” that helps us all to bounce ba…

It’s back to school time, and normally that means getting back to the structure of something familiar….but this year is totally different. And it’s different for each of you. I’ve been thinking about how to kick off this new school year, with a pep talk of sorts, and somehow address all of the challenges and all of these differences in a way that a…

Today I’m talking with Vanessa Levin, experienced early childhood educator and creator of the wildly popular site Pre-K Pages, which is chock full of activities and resources for early childhood teachers. She’s an accomplished trainer and advocate who’s passionate about helping educators teach well AND save time. I asked her to talk with me today a…

As states and districts begin this trickling process of making final announcements about the school year, many closing -at least physically – for the remainder of the school year, I’ve seen heartbreak reflected over and over in educators around the country. These feelings of loss. Over the progress we were making. Over the plans we’d set out. Over …

In this episode, we’ll cover a quick review of what serve and return interactions are as well as what the newest research tells us about why they’re so important. Find Show Notes at: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode32

Author of Zoey & Sassafras and creator of the publishing house, Innovation Press, Asia Citro is truly a woman on a mission to help young children think creatively and see themselves as scientists. You’ll want to catch what Asia has to say about helping children see themselves as scientists and how we can all learn to see that science is truly every…

Cooking can be a powerful activity for young children. From literacy skills, math skills, fine motor skills, and sensory and science experiences, along with the confidence that comes from taking risks, learning from failures, and sharing time and food with others, time in the kitchen with kids is time well spent. I’ve invited my friend, Tiffany Dah…