The Preschool Podcast

Working with children and their emotions can be a challenge. In this episode, Alyssa Blask Campbell, M. Ed, CEO and Found of Seed and Sew LLC, shares with us how you support children's emotional needs as an educator or parent. Alyssa breaks down the different areas adults can focus on with children and themselves in order to achieve a successful and continuous habit through habit stacking. Learn more about the Seed and Sew program and how it can support families and educators on their website or, check out one of their many free resources through their Instagram page and their free emotion coaching guide.

Stephanie Gomes, RECE and director and co-founder of Play To Grow shares with us her journey on launching her new company that provides at-home learning experiences for children. Stephanie gives us a few easy techniques to incorporate technology in the classroom and start virtual learning in your own center or classroom. Learn more about Play To Grow and book a virtual learning session through their Facebook or Instagram pages.

Burnout has been top of mind for a lot of educators over the last year. In this episode, Anisha Grossett, RECE, BASc shares with us her experience in helping educators rediscover their passion for early childhood education in the classroom and how fellow educators can do the same. Anisha gives us a glimpse into her new book Zoey Has an Allergy- a great resource for young children, parents, and educators who are navigating a severe food allergy.  Learn out more about Anisha, her services and, her book on Anisha's website

Getting children to listen can be a difficult task, especially in a classroom full of young preschoolers. In this episode, Ron Shuali, M.Ed, and author of "Building the 21st Century Child" shares with us his insight on his award-winning behavior mastery program. Shuali shares his secrets on getting young children to listen in the classroom and discusses in-depth his behavior management strategies in the classroom for success in children and adults.  Learn more about Ron Shuali's techniques on his website.

Story books are amazing tools to build relationships with and teach young children. In this episode, we chat with Rachel Robertson, VP of Education for Bright Horizons Family Solutions, about why story books are ideal for teaching life skills to young children. She shares the inspiration behind her writing and how she incorporates important life skills like growth mindset into her books.  Learn more about Rachel's books on her author profile at Redleaf Press. 

The role of technology in early learning has always been hotly debated. In our conversation with Ann Gadzikowski, Director of Early Learning at Encyclopaedia Britannica, we discuss the difference between being active users and passive consumers of technology. Ann shares why blocks are an amazing medium to promote STEM learning at a young age. 

In this special episode, Ron gets interviewed on the findings of the childcare benchmark report and his learnings from conversations on the podcast in 2020. This episode offers a rundown of what trends we're seeing in the sector and an overview of key highlights from the only report of its kind in the industry. Don't forget to download the report at tinyurl.com/childcarebenchmark

This episode is all about social stress and young children. Allen Croxall, President of Tools For Life, shares how his team has adapted and developed their trauma-informed materials for the early years classroom. Drawing on 9 core concepts, the Tools For Life Early Years Resource, provides parents and educators with a tool that can meet young children where they are in their socio-emotional development. 

Speech and language is a big part of early learning development for young children. In this episode, we chat with Maryam Nabavi, Co-Founder of Babbly, an app to understand babies' speech and language development by quantifying the different milestones of babbling and connecting parents and educators with speech coaches if necessary. Learn more about how this app is pushing the envelope and empowering the early learning process!

Adapting to new COVID-19 procedures is especially challenging when working with young children. In this episode, Rebecca Reid, head therapist at Willow Occupational Therapy, shares practical tips that parents and educators can use to help children with things like wearing masks, increased hygiene routines, and social distancing while learning.

The global pandemic has changed the way childcares can operate. In this episode, we chat with Chazz Lewis (aka Mr. Chazz) about how to bring authenticity to the early learning process by turning teaching into fun experiences, whether it's virtually or at home. Whether you're an educator or a parent, this is a fun one to get back to the basics and make learning fun again!

Everyone is feeling more anxiety during the current pandemic climate and mindfulness is a useful tool to process difficult emotions. In this episode, we chat with Rachel Moline, PhD and child and adolescent therapist, about how to include mindfulness in your day to day as a parent or ECE. She shares her tips and strategies to start noticing and responding to stressors in a way that helps you become more present when supporting young children.

Multicultural classrooms are quickly becoming the norm across North America. In this episode, we chat with K'Sandra Earle, Associate Director of Early Learning Neighbourhood Collective (ELNC), about how to be intentional about reflecting the diversity of our early learning classrooms. She shares tips on empowering teachers and involving parents to build a space that celebrates young children and their unique cultural backgrounds.

Supporting a child's education during a global pandemic is no easy feat. In this episode, we chat with Lissarette Nisnevich - early educator, child care entrepreneur, and mother - all about managing anxiety for parents, educators and young children during this challenging time. She shares her experience and strategies on how to approach providing a safe environment for young children so that they will be ready to learn. 

In this episode, we talk about how to lead with impact when navigating the challenges of COVID-19. Our guest, Chanie Wilschanski, is the Founder of the Early Childhood School of Excellence. We talk about compassion fatigue, how to set boundaries, and how to simplify your school's process and get through change with your team.

Early childhood education is also young parent education. In this episode, Sharon Hirsh, CEO of Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina, shares how we can work upstream to profoundly impact early educators and their work with helping parents build resilience, supporting families during times of crisis, and delivering early education that supports socioemotional development in young children. 

Teaching children to be race conscious can start as early as when kids are babies. In this episode, we chat with Sachi Feris, founder of Raising Race Conscious Children, about how to talk to young children about race, how to cultivate a more critical lens towards “whiteness” that is normalized as better, and what we can do to educate ourselves as adults in our own learning process about systematic racism and how to reduce it.

Tune in to this episode where we talk about why continuous learning is so important for ECEs with Joni Levine, founder of Child Care Lounge. She shares her journey growing her community and knowledge on trending topics in the field.

Young children are now taught to focus more on academic performance and less on play - this is a problem. In this episode, Peter Dargatz, nature kindergarten teacher, shares his passion for nature-based programs and his journey in creating one at the public school where he works. We talk about why it’s important to slow down to catch up and how to go back to the basics to set our next generation up for success.

The COVID-19 pandemic has left a lot of educators and parents in lurch when it comes to early learning. In this episode, we chat with Rae Pica, about her new book, What If We Taught the Way Children Learn? We talk about coming back to the basics, the factors that motivate children to learn, and why it’s important not to lose sight of having fun when working with young children.