What are ways children can use cameras to record science experiments and more? Add the classroom scientist, building inspector, and more to your classroom jobs while you support children's understanding of how to collect data. Join Cindy and Alison for this discussion inspired by one of our listeners!
Howard Gardner taught that there are multiple intelligences. His theory helps us to understand why and how to individualize our teaching, but have you ever taken a test of your intelligences? The results may surprise you. Join Cindy and Alison as they discuss how results can be unexpected and how they guide us as reflective teachers and families.
Did you know that theorist Dr. Martin Hoffman identified four Stages of Empathy Development? Empathy might be most apparent to us among older children, but there are stages of development that we can support in the early childhood years. Join Cindy and Alison - together in one room for the first time on this podcast - for an explanation of how children develop empathy and what we can do to help them.
For too long, the focus of working with small groups of early learners was the production of crafts. Small group time supports deeper learning than creating a product. Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion about small groups and how they should be planned.
Why are we trying to get infants, toddlers, and two to do things that are not age or developmentally-appropriate for them? Why do we do that with older children who are not yet ready? Stop trying to put square pegs in round holes. You don't have to spend valuable learning time trying to herd cats! Join Cindy and Alison for an episode that could empower you to spend your time with children in better ways.
The ages at which children can be enrolled in team sports seem to get younger and younger all the time, but are they ready for it? In this episode, Cindy and Alison discuss the recommendations and reasons for appropriate ages to start team sports.
Did you know there are three types of play that children should experience each day? Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion about how to include spontaneous, guided, and teacher/adult-directed play in each early learner's day.
Do the children really need your help, or should we let them try for longer? Do we step in, or should we let them figure it out? Cindy and Alison discuss these questions and more as they ponder when to step into children's activities and attempts at independence.
We are living in a digital era, which has benefits and pitfalls. One benefit is the way it can connect people. Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion about using all of our resources to help children who miss home for any reason.
While AI software is new and somewhat scary, it is possible that artificial intelligence can be used to help early childhood teachers, children, and families. Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion about how AI can be used to benefit you.
Returning to an early childhood program can be rough after a fun weekend, long weekend, or extended break. Cindy and Alison discuss that rough landing and ways we may be able to help children re-adapt to our daily routines and experiences.
Early childhood programs can implement policies and practices of inclusion of all children. Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion about what it means to have an inclusive environment and how we can support that for early learners.
Recent studies show that math is the key to foundational skills for young children, yet the emphasis has almost solely been on literacy skills. Join Cindy and Alison for more information about the role of math skills and what we need to do to build that math-based foundation for children.
Ideas about money, its value, and spending it begin in early childhood. Cindy and Alison discuss ways to help young children understand the value of money in early childhood programs and at home.
If the weather is keeping you in, how are you offering the children opportunities to have vital gross motor time? Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion about what can be done when weather or air quality prevents outdoor time.
Even with all we know about the importance of early education, private and publicly funded early education programs may be under the supervision of people without education about our youngest learners. Join Cindy and Alison for a frank discussion about this issue and learn what you can do to stand for what young children need in their early education setting.
What if children helped us design early childhood spaces by providing insights, feedback, and clues about what draws them in? Children of all ages can tell us or show us what works and does not in their environment. Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion about staying within the parameters of the Environmental Rating Scales and responding to children's interests, thoughts, and ideas for their own early learning space.
Join Cindy and Alison as they take their own advice (some of which they have been giving you for years!).
Remember when early childhood programs focused on including STEM activities, and then all of a sudden, the acronym became STEAM? Join Cindy and Alison to learn why Art belongs with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
Adults often express pride and teach children about being proud when big things happen. Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion about teaching children to be proud of the little things, too!
Just like children are makers of art and creators of dramatic play scenes, they should be given the chance to be music makers! Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion about how to help children access the creative outlet of music and movement.
Telling stories builds children's comprehension, language, social skills, and more. Join Cindy and Alison for food for thought about storytelling and encouraging stories in addition to reading books.
Is moving around actually a break for the brain? Are we putting too much emphasis on what children do at tables instead of when they are moving around? Join Cindy and Alison as they answer these questions and more!
It always benefits children (and adults) to go outside and get fresh air. Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion about going outside in almost all weather and how we can make that possible.
Anxiety and ADHD can manifest themselves in very similar ways. Cindy and Alison discuss this similarity as another reason to let go of assumptions about young children.
Did you know that we all have a body budget? We need an amount of everything that fuels the body, and when that budget is off balance, our behavior can suffer. Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion about how this impacts the behavior of early learners.
How did Halloween end up being celebrated in educational settings? What do we do about that with today's knowledge about the importance of cultural responsiveness, respect, and belonging? Join Cindy and Alison to ponder these questions and more.
Have you tried to extinguish behavior by ignoring it? We were told to do that for generations. Join Cindy and Alison as they discuss what we now know about the impact of planned ignoring on young children and on your relationship with them.
Cindy and Alison continue the topic of healthy sexuality in early childhood by discussing what we need to teach young children about safe and unsafe touches, protecting themselves, and more.
Young children are curious not only about the world around them but also about themselves. Human sexual development begins in infancy with everyday actions we may observe. Join Cindy and Alison to learn about what is common for early learners and Part 1 of how we can and should react.
