The Preschool Podcast

Barb O'Neill is the Owner and Creator of the upcoming conference Transform Challenging Behavior. The biggest risk factor for being suspended or expelled from school is before the age of five. Barb returns to the podcast to discuss how not to approach expulsions and suspensions with blame but with support for challenging behaviour that assists everyone involved - teachers, parents and children. The mindset of dealing with challenging behavior is critical for reflecting on your teaching practice and identifying the unique needs of a child.

Janis Keyser, Early Childhood Education Specialist & Author is here to talk about a family-centered approach to early learning. Imagine a parent who begins their journey in early childhood education with an open dialogue about how their child's care can match the values, routine and goals of their individual family.  Establishing deep trust between child care professionals and parents is about expanding the relationship of parents in the classroom. How can we bring parents into the early learning experience to create a wholesome experience? 

Hear all about the Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The initiative (one of the largest funding of early childhood education initiatives in history) focuses on the knowledge, professional learning and collective action necessary to cultivate optimal early learning environments and experiences. They’ve recently launched a first-of-its-kind study on examining the environments where 3- and 4-year-olds learn best. Yet little is known about the children who are looked after under informal arrangements involving neighbors, relatives, friends, or nannies, even though these cover 40 percent of children in Massachusetts. Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) professors Nonie Lesaux and Stephanie Jones, both developmental psychologists, are launching an ambitious study to follow 5,000 children, ages 3 and 4, for four years. The study will track some students before and after their elementary school years, and perhaps into adulthood. The cohort, recruited from 168 communities, is designed to reflect the changing demographics of children across the state. "We want to understand and unpack the insides of child care environments - not just large centers - homes and elsewhere".

Kepler Academy means "big things". Lynette Ventura describes what prioritizing professional development for staff has done to help children thrive. Through professional development, teachers have identified what their impact really is - hear about the Brain Story - a 30 hour, 19 module course that helps educators certify their skills. Play and professional development are connected at Kepler Academy - Using play to assist children with anxiety and stress has been researched and proved to be an excellent tool. "By creating a safe environment for children to have a desire to learn and by having a solid team that takes pride in the actual growth and development of all children."

Episode #90: Tracy Cutchlow says that you can pretty easily guess whether the child is looking for a connection, that sense of belonging or relationship, or an experience with how their bodies work, how the world works, or the need for power to have some control over their own lives. Cutchlow uses a coaching framework "Language of Listening" where the first step is to “Say What You See”. Acknowledging what the child is feeling, saying, doing, thinking to hope you and them cope with intense feelings. For example, maybe the child is screaming because you just told them that it was time to go. Acknowledging their feelings before taking action is critical to helping them manage disappointment and surprise. Resources in this episode: - Word-for-word examples using Language of Listening® in specific scenarios

This week, we hear from a parent of a child who experiences behaviour challenges that are linked to a learning disability. Listen to a Pierre Seguin's experience in navigating the education system with a child displaying challenging behavior that led to a special needs diagnosis. As an early childhood educator, you take on a responsibility to serve the needs of each child with their unique needs. Pierre is also the Founder of Brili. Through consultations with psychologists and other child behaviour experts, he learned and then realized the benefits of routines and visual schedules. As a professional technology manager, Pierre knew that software development teams use big screen digital dashboards to give them project information at a glance while working, without becoming a distraction. So why not, he thought, create similar technology to help families by making visual schedules, simple, powerful and fun. Resources in this episode: - www.brili.com

It is a powerful thing to watch a child discover the magical properties of fruits and vegetables. We eat with our senses and what appeals to us. For younger eaters, allowing a natural curiosity in exploring food is an ideal way to build strong relationships with food and eating. "Eat it because it's good for you" can backfire as an approach, so Janet Nezon walks us through why having fun with eating, instead of preaching, will help to foster positive relationships with food. A child should be in charge with what and how much they eat - so it's time to start trusting a child's relationship with food. If the table is a place of stress and rules then fun and enjoyment can be in conflict with this. "The healthiest ingredient at any family meal is laughter".

Episode #87: "You have to be found and then build trust". How effectively are you using digital marketing to maintain and improve enrollment? New famlies, especially millenial parents will use social media to solve their challenge and share moments with their family online. A strong Google presence is critically for improving enrollment numbers. "If you are under enrolled - you're leaving revenue on the table by not investing in digital marketing" How much revenue? $100,000, says Murray. Have you considered the nuance of which keywords to use on your website to better appear in Google search results? Kris Murray of Child Care Marketing Solutions provides valuable concrete tips on how to improve your digital marketing and social media presence to improve enrollment which in turn allows you to dedicate more resources to paying Educators and creating high-quality child care environments. The landscape for how you need to market your center has completely shifted. We're so thankful to have Kris join us this week to help us navigate the wild world of the web! Resources in this episode: - Kris Murray's Training Programs, Courses and Books - Child Care Marketing Strategies Enrollment Bootcamp

Episode #86: Educators, childcare providers, teachers. Language matters. Accountability matters. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) recognizes the important role that early childhood educators play in the development of young children. Power to the Profession is about educators standing together, united in a voice to reclaim the power of the role. Marica Cox Mitchell clarifies the misconceptions about early childhood education and how NAEYC is advocating for the careers of educators today. Resources in this episode: - NAEYC's Power to the Profession

Episode #85: If you haven't made sense of your environment and found the patterns that apply to your daily activities, you would likely feel unease and anxiety. It's easy to forget that children need help establishing these familiar routines. Why do routines really matter? Higher levels of aggression, lower vocabulary, challenging behaviour, hyperactivity are all connected to chaotic homes and a lack of routine with young children. Alyson Schafer explains why every parent and teacher needs training in non-punitive tactics to manage challenging behaviour. A tactical approach like "When and then" statements help parents to control the environment instead of the children. Helping children to be autonomous is directly connected to predictability and the importance of routines. Alyson suggests diligence with parents in following predictable non-punitive responses to behaviour so children can thrive. This is the podcast episode every parent needs - practical, concise and positive. If you are a caregiver or parent of a preschooler, dealing with challenging behaviour or not, this week is FOR YOU! Resources in this episode: - Follow Alyson and Her Work on her website - Buy Alyson's Book Honey I Wrecked The Kids