Stories That Stick

Embracing Unschooling and Natural Literacy with Leah McDermott

In this Season 3 opener of "Stories That Stick," Laura is joined by educator, author, and founder of Your Natural Learner and Bridge Academy, Leah McDermott, for a conversation about courage and child-led learning. Leah has spent years helping families and educators break free from rigid, traditional models so children can learn in ways that honor who they are. In this episode, they explore the heart of unschooling, natural literacy development, and what it means to truly trust children’s learning without checklists, timelines, or pressure. Highlights: 1. Redefining Learning Beyond School: Leah breaks down the most common misconceptions about unschooling and explains why it isn’t anti-school. You’ll hear how removing children from rigid structures opens the door to deeper curiosity, intrinsic motivation, and authentic engagement with the world. 2. Natural Literacy as Expression, Not a Timeline: We discuss why pushing reading too early can backfire and how literacy develops through language, connection, and real-world context. Leah explains what natural literacy looks like day-to-day and why trusting a child’s brain development leads to stronger, more confident readers in the long run. 3. Doing the Adult Work: A major theme in this episode is unlearning. Leah and Laura talk about the internal work adults must do from examining fears, to undoing their own educational conditioning, all while learning to trust the process. 4. Navigating Fear, Pressure, and the Unknown: What if you let go of timelines? What if your child learns differently than you did? Leah offers grounded, compassionate advice for navigating the fear and societal pressure that often arise when you choose a path outside the norm. If you’ve ever wondered what learning might look like without the pressure, the power struggles, or the constant comparison, this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air. Leah’s insights offer a vision of education rooted in connection, curiosity, and trust—one that prepares children for a rapidly changing world by honoring who they are today. Connect with Laura: * Instagram: @little.stories.that.stick [https://www.instagram.com/little.stories.that.stick/] * Website: Little Stories That Stick [https://www.littlestoriesthatstick.com/] * Get support on your own journey in The Play-Led Literacy Program [https://www.littlestoriesthatstick.com/program-waitlist] Connect with Leah: Instagram: @yournaturallearner [https://www.instagram.com/yournaturallearner/] Websites: Your Natural Learner [https://stan.store/YourNaturalLearner?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnz-_Ux7PKXQvqgJH787l38zKfZni_7AScvxz-6sgIibC4WZ0ArcpiV30I5Yo_aem_KbaQcPIPVptwhqXqjo052A] & Bridge Academy [http://www.bridgeacademy.us] Learn more about Natural Learning from Dr. Peter Gray’s [https://www.petergray.org/] substack or books.

Bringing Joy to Early Literacy Learning

Today, I’m joined by Beck Goodman who is an early childhood learning expert specializing in early literacy. Her company’s mission is to end the preschool power struggles around learning by equipping grownups with the tools they need to use play-based approaches that foster connection, not conflict. We discuss joy and child interest as the cornerstone to supporting early literacy development.  Highlights: 1. Silliness as a Tool for Engagement: Beck emphasizes the power of silliness—whether it’s making up ridiculous words with magnetic letters or engaging in playful language games. Children are naturally silly—let's embrace that playfulness. 2. Using Children’s Interests to Drive Learning: Both Beck and Laura discuss the importance of leaning into a child’s interest and disinterest. Whether it’s saying yes to a request for ketchup at mealtime or experimenting with different ways to engage a child during literacy activities, honoring what excites them can build trust and create more opportunities for learning. 3. Letting Children Take the Lead: Learn how to avoid power struggles and encourage more collaborative problem-solving. Laura and Beck discuss how giving children a voice in problem-solving situations can help build autonomy and investment in the learning process.  If you’ve ever wondered how to meet children where they are and embrace their interests and silliness, this episode is for you. Beck’s strategies will help you navigate the delicate balance between structured learning and free play, ultimately creating an environment where children feel empowered to explore language and literacy on their terms. Connect with Laura: * Instagram: @little.stories.that.stick [https://www.instagram.com/little.stories.that.stick] * Website: Little Stories That Stick [https://littlestoriesthatstick.com] Connect with Beck: * Instagram: @growwithbeck [https://www.instagram.com/growwithbeck] * Website: growwithbeck.com [https://growwithbeck.com]

Emergent Writing and Storytelling with Jenn Zollinger

Today, I’m joined by Jenn Zollinger from Play Before Pencils to talk about emergent writing and its deep connection to storytelling. As an early childhood educator and advocate for play-based learning, Jenn shares how she transitioned from a teacher-led, academic-focused preschool setting to a more child-led, developmentally responsive approach. We explore the magic that happens when children are given space to explore writing organically—through storytelling, play, and meaningful experiences. Highlights: 1. What is Emergent Writing? Jenn explains how children naturally progress through stages of emergent writing, from scribbles to phonetic spelling, and why these early marks are crucial to literacy development. 2. The Role of Play in Writing Development: Jenn and I discuss how open-ended materials and opportunities for storytelling supports children in seeing themselves as writers—long before they master letter formation. 3. Oral Storytelling: Jenn shares how incorporating oral storytelling in her classroom led to incredible engagement, creativity, and a stronger connection to written language. If you’re tired of how limiting traditional literacy instruction is with worksheets and scripted small groups, tune in and find out how to create an environment where writing feels meaningful and accessible to all children. If you’ve ever wondered how to nurture early writing skills without forcing them or want to explore the magic of storytelling in your classroom, this episode is for you! Connect with Laura: * Instagram: @little.stories.that.stick [https://www.instagram.com/little.stories.that.stick] * Website: Little Stories That Stick [https://littlestoriesthatstick.com] Connect with Jenni: * Instagram: @play_before_pencils [https://www.instagram.com/play_before_pencils/] * Website: playbeforepencils.com [https://playbeforepencils.com/]

Navigating Developmentally Appropriate Early Literacy

Jean-Mari Dagarin, from The Early Childhood POV, joins me today to talk about a growing concern in early education: 'schoolification'—the push to bring formal academic practices into early childhood spaces. With over 30 years of experience as an early childhood advocate, administrator, college professor, and developmentally appropriate practice expert, Jean Marie has seen firsthand how these pressures impact young learners. Today, we’re unpacking what schoolification means, why it’s problematic, and, more importantly, how educators can combat it while staying true to developmentally appropriate practices.  Highlights: 1. Defining Schoolification: Jean Marie breaks down the concept of "schoolification" in early childhood, discussing how academic pressures are being pushed down to younger ages and why this is often developmentally inappropriate. 2. Examples of Inappropriate Early Literacy Practices: Jean Marie shares specific examples of early literacy practices that do not align with developmentally appropriate principles, highlighting the need for a child-centered approach. Laura shares some that she did before she knew better 3. Natural Literacy Development in Play-Based Learning: Jean Marie and Laura provide insights into how early literacy skills can unfold naturally through play, offering practical strategies for fostering language and literacy in a way that supports children's developmental stages. If you want to think deeper about early literacy, what’s often done wrong, and how teachers can nurture children’s natural literacy development through play, this episode is for you! So, grab a cup of coffee, get comfortable, and let’s jump into this eye-opening conversation with Jean-Mari. Connect with Laura: * Instagram: @little.stories.that.stick [https://www.instagram.com/little.stories.that.stick] * Website: Little Stories That Stick [https://littlestoriesthatstick.com] * Learn more with the Play-Based Literacy Masterclass [https://www.littlestoriesthatstick.com/masterclass] Connect with Jean-Mari: * Instagram: @the.early.childhood.pov [https://www.instagram.com/the.early.childhood.pov/] * Website: earlychildhoodpov.com [https://www.earlychildhoodpov.com/] * Learn more with DAP 101 [https://www.earlychildhoodpov.com/DAP101]

Unpacking Early Childhood Literacy with Dr. Julia Lindsey

In this episode, I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Julia B. Lindsey, Ph.D., a leading expert in foundational literacy and the author of Reading Above the Fray: Research-based Routines for Developing Decoding Skills. With a wealth of experience as both an educator and researcher, Dr. Lindsey has made significant contributions to the field of literacy, including the creation of widely used knowledge-rich decodable texts. Together we simplify and break down all the different aspects of early literacy using research. Highlights: 1. Explicit Reading Instruction: Hear some concrete reasons why some literacy skills have to be explicitly taught and the research that supports this. Learn simple ways to do this with young children in a play-based setting. 2. Phonemic Awareness: Julia simply explains the difference between phonemic and phonological awareness and their role in developing early literacy skills. 3. How It's All Connected: Laura and Julia discuss how reading and writing is deeply interconnected with language. They also share how joyful literacy learning can be for young children as they start to make sense of the code that they see all around them. If you’re ready to start building in 5-7 minutes of explicit literacy instruction a day and aren’t sure where to start, this episode is for you. Find out how and why you should be doing this and what the current research says. Connect with Laura: * Instagram: @little.stories.that.stick [https://www.instagram.com/little.stories.that.stick] * Website: Little Stories That Stick [https://littlestoriesthatstick.com] * Learn more with the Play-Based Literacy Masterclass [https://www.littlestoriesthatstick.com/masterclass] Connect with Dr. Julia Lindsey: * Instagram: @juliablindsey [https://www.instagram.com/juliablindsey/] * Website: www.juliablindsey.com [https://www.juliablindsey.com/]  * Her book: Reading Above the Fray [https://shop.scholastic.com/teachers-ecommerce/teacher/books/reading-above-the-fray-9781338828726.html]