Play Before Pencils

Making the Case for Play: How to Talk About Play-Focused Learning with Skeptical Parents and Educators

How do you explain the power of play to those who still see it as “just fun”? In this episode, we explore how to have meaningful, empathetic conversations with parents and fellow educators who are unsure about using play as the foundation for early learning. We’ll unpack the research, the real-world results, and the practical language you can use to bridge the gap between developmental theory and classroom reality. Whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or advocate for childhood, you’ll come away with renewed confidence in your practice—and the words to help others see that play is serious learning. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

Assessment in Play-focused Classrooms

In this episode, we explore what assessment looks like in a play-focused preschool classroom. Rather than relying on checklists or tests, we talk about how teachers become researchers—documenting children’s words, actions, and creations to understand their thinking and guide curriculum. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

Supporting Preschoolers Through Separation Anxiety

A new school year has begun and separation anxiety is something you've likely been dealing with as a preschool teacher. In today's episode we'll discuss the important role of teachers and parents in supporting young children through those tough, but developmentally normal, periods of separation anxiety. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

What Employers are Really Looking For

What do current hiring practices have to do with preschool? Today we explore the skills that today's employers are looking for in potential hires and how the work we do in early childhood education has a big impact on preparing children for future employment opportunities.  Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

Having Difficult Conversations

In the last episode, we talked about communicating with parents, and in this follow-up episode we will focus on having difficult conversations--how to handle situations when you need to discuss emotionally-charged topics with parents and what to do if you have a parent that is simply difficult to work with. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast