Another name to call early childhood educators is Brain Architects. Early childhood is inarguably the most crucial time for brain development. Caretakers of young children hold the upmost important role of building children's brains through experiences.

Play has long been the most developmentally appropriate practice for young children and in today's episode we discuss why and how brain architecture and play set the crucial foundation for children's later academic learning.

For more information check out these article from Harvard on the subject of brain architecture.

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This week talk all about the stages and types of play. We get down to the basics so that you as a teacher have the foundation you need to incorporate more play in the classroom.

This weeks episode discusses what each stage looks like and what each kind of play looks like. We discuss the benefits of play and how to observe and read children's play.

Have some struggling students when it comes to play skills? Have a student stuck in one area? We discuss strategies and ideas for helping push these children forward.

We discuss the go to book on play in the classroom, Purposeful Play by Kristine Mraz, Alison Porcelli, and Cheryl Tyler.

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In this week's episode we talk all about where the play has gone and how to incorporate more play into your classroom through open-ended teaching strategies. We all know why play is beneficial in the classroom, but it still only shows up for 30 minutes a day in structured choice times.

What are we doing instead? Academics. What can we do to incorporate more play? Open up your teaching style to a more open-ended child-led style and make play the pulse of the classroom. Making the shift in small easy to do steps can start to help incorporate more play a bit at a time.

Finding balance in the classroom between free play and guided play, open-ended and close-ended materials, and child-led and teacher-led learning will get you well on your way.

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This is why we teach...the kids.

This week we talk all about how we focus on the students and why that is so important in the classroom.

Understanding how we view the children and how that effects the classroom and our teaching is an important idea to reflect one.

We also discuss ways to shift our focus to the children instead of all the other things being thrown at us.

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Lot's more topics, tips, and fun on Instagram @prek.spot

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In this week's episode we talk all about one of my favorite subjects, rough play!

This type of play can super uncomfortable and nerve wracking, but we need to all ow it and start to understand it more.

We talk about how it fits into the scheme of play and why it is beneficial.

We talk strategy and language around this type of play to help children understand their bodies, regulation and process within the context of very physical play.

Know a friend who loves early childhood? Share this podcast.

Lot's more topics, tips, and fun on Instagram @prek.spot

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Know a friend who loves early childhood? Share this podcast.

Lot's more topics, tips, and fun on Instagram @prek.spot

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In this week's episode we talk all about progressive education.

I share and offer my reactions to the essay by Alfie Kohn entitled, Progressive Education: Why it's Hard to Beat, But Also Hard to Find.

We share about what defines a progressive program, what progressive programs are not, why they are awesome, and why there is a resistance to them.

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This week we talk all about letting the materials loose!

Using materials all across the room and not just for it's intended area can be called cross-area play. We talk about the benefits and some great ideas from a NAEYC article as well as what it looks like in my classroom.

We also talk about the mess it can create and tips and tricks for cleaning up said mess.

Check out a quick look at cross-area play in one of my instagram reels.

Know a friend who loves early childhood? Share this podcast.

Lot's more topics, tips, and fun on Instagram @prek.spot

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