This episode explores the transformative blended pre-K program at Prosper Independent School District in Texas, championed by Michelle Scogin, Director of Early Childhood and Learning Services. Discover how this program successfully merges special and general education along with joy, wonder, and compassion. Machelle and her amazing team are committed to building a developmentally appropriate environment where every child can thrive. Through purposefully designed spaces and a commitment to play-based learning, the Brenda Calhoun Early Childhood School stands as a model of innovative and intentional educational practices.

Michelle shares her inspiring journey from her early memories as a Head Start child to becoming a leader in early childhood education.  Her story illuminates the universal challenges in early education and the vital role of visionary leadership in overcoming them.  You'll gain insights into how strong leadership and community support have been pivotal in shaping this district's early childhood programs, encouraging a collaborative community that includes educators, paraprofessionals, administrators, school staff, board members, and parents.

As Machelle's commonly used hashtag reminds us, #allmeansall.

Show Notes: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode79

I had an experience a few months ago that began with a fantastic workshop with one of my favorite schools, and *seemed* to end with a broken down, broken into truck. 

But the real ending came full circle when I found that what I had been teaching that early childhood team the day before, was *exactly* what I needed to remember in that moment. 

File this one under – everything we ever needed to know in life, we learned in early childhood education.

We're talking about why joy matters and how to tap into a little bit more of it.

You can find this episode’s show notes, which are always full of links, tidbits, and resources, at https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode78

Rae Pica has been a fierce advocate for children and childhood for over 40 years.  And during that time she’s written a whole bookshelf full of books on the topic.  Today, she’s sharing her latest addition to that bookshelf, it came out just last week, Why Play?: How to Make Play an Essential Part of Early Education.

In this newest book, Rae dives into the importance of play in early childhood education, how to partner with parents, why different modes of play are beneficial, and how to support each type of play.  She even touches on some of the tricky topics associated with play, like rough and tumble play and gun play.  It’s her latest and possibly her greatest, and she’s sharing it with us in today’s episode.

If you want to know how to better advocate for play in early childhood, this episode is for you. 

Find shownotes, including a full transcript, at notjustcute.com/podcast/episode77.

When Amber Unger (also known as the Cream City Teacher) began her career in education, she thought she'd be working with teenagers.  As her path led her to a 4K public school classroom in the middle of a shift toward play-based learning, she discovered a new passion!  Today, she helps other teachers on their own journeys to better understand and implement intentional play-based practices.

Get the show notes at :

https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode76

In episode 74, I introduced you to Michele Dineen-White, the creator of Play Smart Literacy in Chicago.  Play Smart Literacy is a truly mobile outreach program, meaning that rather than hoping parents can overcome the burden of traveling to a specific location to receive services, Play Smart Literacy goes out into the community, particularly in vulnerable areas, to contact families and meet them right where they are – both literally and figuratively.  They teach workshops at laundromats, gas stations, and standing in line at the market. 

The passion for this program - and what it does for children and families - is contagious!  In fact, many members of the team were once on the other side of the program – they were parents learning for the first time that talking and playing with their babies could make a meaningful difference in their development.  They saw the benefits of the program with their own eyes and in their own homes and decided they wanted to share that message with other parents. 

In this episode, I talk with members of the Play Smart Literacy team, about why they're so passionate about their work, what that work looks like, and how they've seen it change lives.

Michele Dinneen-White was working in an early education outreach program when she realized something.  The program wasn’t actually reaching out to the families who needed it most.  Those families were still required to find the time and the means to get their child to the center in order to receive services.  And for many, that barrier was just too much to overcome.  So Michele decided to create something new.   The program is called Play Smart Literacy and it serves families in the Chicago area.  It’s a fully mobile outreach program, one that actually reaches OUT and INTO the most vulnerable communities.  And what is their mission?  To build language and relationships through play. 

Michele and her parent play leaders go to where the families are – parks, shelters, mobile markets, Head Start and early care programs, laundromats, gas stations – and they build real relationships with the families they meet, while at the same time building the families’ understanding of the connections between play, talk, and child development …AND building their confidence as parents as well.  Their message is clear:  EVERY parent has the ability to have a strong positive influence on their child’s future.

Challenging behaviors seem to be on the rise in preschool classrooms.  Prerna Richards, of Together We Grow, specializes in supporting educators with a behavior coaching program.  In this episode, she shares what she believes is behind this increase, and what can be done to better help our youngest learners.

Find Show Notes : https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode73

Once upon a time.....

...Happily ever after.

These are common fairy tale phrases. But they're more than just staid story stems. These common phrases -- and the stories in between -- hold not only a recipe for imagination and fantasy but also for resilience.

Stephanie Goloway (EdD) is a powerful advocate for the importance of imagination, play, and storytelling.  As a now-emeritus professor, she’s taught young children as well as college students and has focused her research on how fairy tales align with and support child development.  She’s written a book called, Happily Ever Resilient, where she shares how the ordinary magic of resilience is woven into the extraordinary magic of fairy tales, supporting all children as they face the challenges of life.

Show Notes: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode72

Most people associate the library with silence.  But what if we associated it with play?  

In this episode, I’m talking with Tammie Benham, Youth Services Consultant for the Southeast Kansas Library System. Tammie believes that where libraries, children, and families intersect, magic is possible.  And she’s set out to make that magic through a family engagement program focused on using play to teach, encourage, and support families in the communities she serves.

Find Show Notes: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode71

We started this series with the overall argument for why play is essential for human development.  The next three episodes dug deep into three main themes: Why we need play for mental health and wellness, for brain development and real learning, and for soft skill development.  Then, we shifted to several shorter episodes, touching on specific types of play and how they contribute to development.  In this final episode, I’m talking about why ALL children need play, even when others may think it’s time to help children “catch up” instead.

Show Notes: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode70