Cognition and Play

Host Jen Andersen discusses play and its impact on motor development with Lauren Kelliher, physical therapist and Kelly Randall, occupational therapist.  We hope this conversation will shed some light on just how deeply movement and physical growth are connected to how young children learn, play, and thrive. Whether it’s climbing, cutting, or simply reaching for a toy, every movement is part of their learning journey.  

Join host Jen Andersen, Early Childhood educator Heather Lerner and Social Worker Katey Schwartzman to get tips on helping your child through "big feelings." They will discuss what is age-appropriate emotional behavior regulation and offer a few play-based strategies and activities to help parents navigate their child's development. 

We dive into our second episode by talking about the role of play in the development of communication skills. By the end of this podcast, we hope you too, have an understanding of how to grow communication skills through all types of play!

In our first episode of Young Explorers The Power of Play, we talk about the role of play in the development of cognitive functions, such as problem-solving, memory, attention, and abstract thinking. Joining veteran early childhood teacher Jen Andersen is School Psychologist Maren Andersen and YE teacher Sia Drakoulis.. and some special little voices of our Young Explorers students!
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This Podcast is brought to you by the Young Explorers leadership team of Northbrook School District 28.  

This Podcast introduces the community to different areas of child development and explains how each area grows while children play. Throughout the course of this year, we will highlight four different areas of development, starting with cognition, and following with subsequent episodes on communication, social-emotional, and motor development. In each episode you’ll hear about a specific area of development from a Young Explorers specialist, you’ll hear from teachers, and even students.