The Play Based Learning Podcast

EP 58: Exploring Artistry in Early Childhood with Faigie Kobre

Today I am chatting with Faigie Kobree, a former preschool and kindergarten teacher, director, and now an elementary school art teacher using the choice based TAB method. She also educates teachers how to switch from copycat crafts to creative art.
Key Takeaways:
Process-based Learning: Kristen and Faigie emphasize learning through exploration, curiosity, and trial-and-error rather than focusing solely on the end product.
Messy Play: They encourage others to embrace the messiness of art for young children as a natural part of the learning process, encouraging experimentation with various materials.
Individualized Support: Faigie and Kristen talk about how to offer guidance and assistance based on each child's needs and interests, while also allowing them the freedom to explore and create independently.
Artistic Growth: Kristen and Faigie help you to understand that artistic abilities evolve over time, with children progressing from exploratory scribbles and messy play to more intentional and refined creations as they grow.
Want to dive a little deeper into process art over crafts and when it’s ok for adults to give some ideas and guidance without making the art a craft? Then this episode is for you.
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Faigie here: @eduart4kids or at eduart4kids.com
Find Faigie’s free mini course here: Free Mini Course

EP 57: The Importance of Play for Adults with Reagan Fulton

Today I am chatting with Reagan Fulton, Founder of Playful Acre and advocate for integrating play into daily life for all ages. We chat about the importance of adults including play into their own lives. It is essential not only for children, but for us too!
 
Key Takeaways: 
Play is Essential for All Ages: Reagan and Kristen emphasize the importance of play not only for children but also for adults. Play is seen as a vital aspect of life that contributes to well-being and happiness.
Reclaiming Play as Adults: They encourage adults to reclaim play in their lives by prioritizing activities that bring them joy and curiosity. Reagan shares how adults have to challenge societal norms that discourage them from engaging in playful activities.
Setting Boundaries for Play: Kristen and Reagan talk about the importance of setting boundaries to create time for play amidst busy schedules. They suggest strategies such as scheduling playtime on calendars and parallel playing with children to prioritize personal play.
Overcoming Societal Stigmas: They have a discussion about societal pressures that discourage playfulness as individuals transition from childhood to adulthood and encourage listeners to challenge these stigmas and embrace playfulness in their lives.
Promoting Self-Care through Play: Play is presented as a form of self-care that can replenish energy and foster creativity. Kristen and Reagan want listeners to explore activities that bring them joy and fulfillment, emphasizing the benefits of incorporating play into daily routines.
Do you feel like you are in an everyday routine taking care of everyone else and forgetting that you need play in your life as well? This podcast may be the push you need to start adding some play for yourself! 
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Reagan here: @playful.reagan or at playfulacre.com and Facebook
Find Reagan’s 30 Days of Play challenge here: 30 Days Of Play

EP 56: The Connection of Play and Brain-Behaviors with Prerna Richards

Today I am chatting with Prerna Richards, an early childhood education consultant and keynote speaker with 38 years of experience in ECE. Prerna started her own company called Together We Grow, providing professional development, behavior coaching and NAEYC consulting. She believes in empowering and uplifting educators and does that through training and strength-based behavior coaching. She’s a firm believer that when we know better, we do better. In this episode, we will chat about the connection between brain behaviors and play. 
 
Key Takeaways: 
Play as the Cornerstone: Both Kristen and Prerna emphasize the importance of play in early childhood education, highlighting its role in reducing challenging behaviors and creating joyful learning environments.
Mindset Shift: Prerna discusses how adults should adopt a responsive approach by becoming behavior detectives and understanding the emotions behind children's actions rather than being reactive.
Connect Before Correct: Kristen and Prerna share about how to build strong connections with children through empathy and understanding. This reduces the need for constant correction, fostering a more positive learning environment.
Authentic Engagement: Genuine, authentic engagement involves following children's lead, respecting their perspectives, and fostering meaningful interactions that prioritize their thoughts, feelings, and experiences over rote questioning or directives.
Do you find yourself curious about how lack of play can affect children and how they behave? Then this is a great podcast to listen to!
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Prerna here: @togetherwegrow.online or at togetherwegrow.online.com
Also find Prerna on: Linkedin, Facebook, or YouTube

EP 55: Free the Glue with Kayla Souza

Today I am chatting with Kayla Souza who opened a small play and nature based preschool that she runs from my home and backyard after working for 20 years in traditional classrooms. In this episode we talk about one of my current favorite things to talk about and that is letting go and freeing the glue! 
Key Takeaways: 
Getting Creative With Glue: Kristen and Kayla talk about ways to encourage children's creativity by providing a variety of materials for them to explore with glue, such as recycled lids, egg cartons, wooden pieces from games, and puzzle pieces.
Exploring Different Types of Glue: Kristen and Kayla suggest offering different types of glue, including white glue, glue sticks, and low-heat glue guns, depending on the project and children's preferences, while ensuring proper supervision, especially with tools like glue guns.
Budget-Friendly Options: They talk about different examples of budget friendly options. 
Trusting the Process: Kristen and Kayla tak about trusting children's natural curiosity and interests, allowing them the freedom to explore materials and projects at their own pace, even if it means revisiting certain activities over time.
Starting Small: They talk about how you can begin with simple, low-cost projects using recycled materials and basic art supplies, gradually expanding as you observe children's engagement and creativity flourish.
If you struggle with allowing children to explore glue, this podcast may help you have a different perspective and give you all the reasons to start freeing the glue! If you already support freeing the glue but cost is the issue then tune in to hear suggestions on what else you can do! 
 
Free the Glue Party sign up Here: Free the Glue Party
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Kayla here: @littlelilacpreschool or at littlelilacpreschool.com
Find Kayla's Glue PDF here: Free the Glue Guide
 

EP 54: Understanding Gestalt Language Processing with Jess Teixeira

Today I am chatting with Jess Teixeira, a certified speech-language pathologist in Massachusetts who specializes in supporting gestalt language processors and their families through direct services and parent and professional consultations and coaching. Have you ever heard of Gestalt Language Processing? If not, you have to listen in because this information can help us understand children so much more! 
Key Takeaways: 
What is Gestalt Language Processing: Jess explains Gestalt language processing as a different way children develop language, emphasizing that it's a normal variation in language development. 
Collaboration Among Parents, SLPs, and Educators: Jess highlights the importance of collaboration among parents, speech language pathologists (SLPs), and educators in supporting Gestalt language processors. 
Challenges: Kristen and Jess discuss the challenges families face, including pushback from educators and the mismatch between school curriculums and the needs of Gestalt language processors.
Approaches to Literacy: Jess explains how Gestalt language processors may approach phonemic awareness and alphabet knowledge differently, depending on individual interests and developmental stages. 
Implementing Supportive Strategies in the Classroom: Jess and Kristen suggest practical strategies for educators, such as using declarative language or "sports casting" to support communication in the classroom.
Curious about Gestalt Language Processing just like I was? Then you need to listen to this podcast to learn what it’s all about! 
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Jess here: @jesstheslp or at @playhavenpediatrics 

EP 53: Developing the Fundamentals of ABCs Through Play with Stacy Benge

Today I am chatting with Stacy Benge, an early childhood speaker who approaches learning in the early years with practicality and common sense. Stacy is the author of the new book, The Whole Child Alphabet: How Young Children Actually Develop Literacy, published by Exchange Press. Listen as we talk about how young children actually develop literacy skills. 
Key Takeaways: 
Understanding the Role of Alphabet in Literacy: Stacy and Kristen emphasize that while the alphabet is important for literacy, it's just one component among many.
Shifting Perspective on Alphabet Learning: Stacy suggests instead of viewing alphabet learning as a matter of teaching, to see it as a process of development. Children need to develop foundational skills before they can effectively learn the alphabet, and play-based activities support this development.
Encouraging Play-Based Learning Environments: Stacy and Kristen give ideas on how to create environments rich in open-ended materials and opportunities for child-led play. These environments support the development of literacy skills in a natural and meaningful way.
Balancing Play-Based Learning with Curriculum Requirements: Stacy and Kristen acknowledge the challenge of balancing play-based learning with curriculum requirements. Stacy suggests finding ways to incorporate play into structured activities and advocating for the importance of play in achieving curriculum goals.
Are you feeling the pressure that children need to learn the alphabet in certain ways that doesn’t feel developmentally appropriate? Then this episode is for you and the stakeholders in your program.
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Stacy here: @stacybengems or at stacybenge.com
Find Stacy’s book here: The Whole Child Alphabet: How Young Children Actually Develop Literacy

EP 52: Breaking the Behavior Chart Cycle with Megg Thompson

Today I am chatting with Megg Thompson, a neuro-affirming behavior consultant that uses LOVE-based strategies to help kids be their absolute best! In this episode we talk about doing away with behavior charts, stickers, rewards, and more. Tune in to find out what we can do differently! 
Key Takeaways:
Behavior Charts and External Motivation: Megg and Kristen emphasize that behavior charts, stickers, tokens, and other external motivators diminish internal motivation in children. These strategies may seem effective in the short term but can lead to long-term issues and undermine true learning and motivation.
Developmental Appropriateness: They highlight that traditional behavior management techniques are often not developmentally appropriate for all children. While some may respond positively, others may experience increased anxiety, perfectionism, or depression, leading to adverse effects on their well-being.
Play-Based Solutions: Both Kristen and Megg advocate for play-based approaches to behavior and social-emotional learning. They argue that allowing children to engage in unstructured play fosters natural social skill development and reduces the need for coercive behavior management tactics.
Importance of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL): Kristen and Megg stress the significance of social and emotional learning in early childhood education. They emphasize that educators should prioritize fostering social skills and emotional regulation over traditional academic instruction.
Are you someone who uses or questions the use of behavior charts and other behavior management strategies and want to know what to do differently? This podcast is for you! 
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Megg here:  @meggthompson or at meggthompson.com 
Check out Megg’s Masterclass and get 50% off with code: HALFOFF

EP 51: Making Research Accessible in Early Childhood with Emily Clark, M.Ed

Today I am chatting with Em about all things research! Emily Clark, M. Ed is an international early childhood education advocate with teaching certifications from both the US and the UK. She founded EarlyEdEm.com to bring real early childhood research to the real educators who need it most.
 
Key Takeaways: 
Access to Research: Research can feel overwhelming and inaccessible to many educators, and Kristen and Em talk about how having access to research can empower teachers to deepen their understanding of classroom practices and make informed decisions.
Empowering Practice: They talk about how research empowers educators to step back from their day-to-day activities and gain insights into different perspectives and approaches. It provides validation for their gut feelings and allows them to make more informed decisions.
Finding your own Research: Em and Kristen talk about tips and tricks on ways you can find and gather research on topics that you are interested in or wanting to use to teach/show others. 
Reevaluating Traditional Practices: Em and Kristen talk about how important it is for educators to be open to re-evaluating traditional practices in light of new research findings. For example, research may challenge assumptions about practices like calendar time or seating arrangements, prompting educators to reconsider their approaches.
Do you find it overwhelming and challenging to find research when it comes to developmentally appropriate practices? This podcast is for you! Listen to Kristen and Em talk about all things research! 
Find Kristen here: @kristen.rb.peterson or at KristenRBPeterson.com
Find Em Here: @earlyedem or at Earlyedem   Sign up for her FREE webinar HERE