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

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

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 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

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

Whether you’re a preschool teacher, daycare provider, or administrator, the connection you build with parents can make or break a child’s success in your care. Today we'll discuss why strong communication with parents is so critical in early childhood education and how we can communicate well, even when we’re juggling 1000 other things!

Celebrate the one year anniversary of the launch of the Play Before Pencils Podcast with me! We'll take a look back over the year and what it's taught us about the importance of play in early childhood classrooms. Show Notes:www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

In today's episode, we take a look at transitions--why they are hard for young children and how we can approach them with more strategy to minimize the impact they have on the students in your early childhood classroom. Show Notes:www.playbeforepencils.com

As the school year nears an end, early childhood teachers are often asked the question "Is my child ready for kindergarten?" If we've done our jobs well, we can confidently say "YES!" without ever having engaged in 3 common preschool practices that actually work against a child being ready to move on in school. Show Notes:www.playbeforepencils.com

Whole Body Listening….is it helpful or harmful in today’s early childhood classrooms? Join host Jenn Zollinger as she explores the answer to that question in this episode of the Play Before Pencils Podcast. Show Notes:www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast