Today, we’re talking about early literacy and family engagement — and how innovation and leadership can spark new ideas in early learning settings. In this episode of Quality Time, host Laura Cady talks to Janelle Nissen, School Director at Educare Omaha at Indian Hill. Educare of Omaha is part of a national network dedicated to early childhood education, partnering with families and communities to ensure every child has access to high-quality early learning experiences. Janelle leads with creativity, heart, and a willingness to try new things — and we’re so excited to learn from her today.

This episode of Quality Time welcomes Dr. Amy Napoli, an Associate Professor and Early Childhood Extension Specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Technology is an unavoidable part of modern life and parenting - so how can we use it intentionally?

In today's episode, Laura welcomes Suzie Fogarty, Community Outreach Coordinator and Education Facilitator at Smart Gen Society. With over 25 years of experience in the education ecosystem, Suzie gives insight on how language from a screen isn't processed in a child's brain the same way face-to-face interactions are.

Tune in to learn how parents and providers can navigate digital tools without sacrificing the developmentally appropriate practices that children need to thrive.

Is reading as important to a child’s health as excersise or nutrition? In this episode of Quality Time, host Laura Cady sits down with Dr. Karla Lester, a pediatrician and author, who believes the answer is a resounding "YES". Dr. Karla Lester views literacy as a vital health indicator, prescribing what she calls a "daily dose of reading books" to support a child's cognitive and social-emotional health.

Karla offers advice to parents to meet children where they are, even if that means letting a kiddo flip through pages or babble along rather than finishing the story.

Host Laura Cady sits down with Colleen Schmidt, Erica Temperly, and Sarah Voss to unpack two powerful tools that boost quality teaching — the Environmental Rating Scales (ERS) and the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). They explore how these tools work hand in hand: ERS builds the physical environment (think cozy reading nooks and easy-to-reach books), while CLASS focuses on intentional teacher–child interactions (like sparking conversations and growing vocabularies). Together, they help kids fall in love with reading from the very start.

Today, we dive into early literacy with Nancy Novotny, Program Manager at the Omaha Public Library (OPL). Nancy reveals how OPL is supporting young children and childcare providers in Nebraska, sharing the five key practices from the American Library Association’s Every Child Ready to Read philosophy: reading, writing, talking, singing, and playing. Listen in to learn the practical, everyday details of how these simple, fun activities build essential literacy skills.

Early childhood professional, Diana Svela, joins Laura to talk about the journey of providing high-quality care and the imperfections that come with it. Their conversation also explores the deeper dimensions of early literacy—how it extends beyond books into intentional interactions, meaningful conversations, and creating rich learning environments.

This week, Laura chats with Robert Patterson and Jason Albeno from Kids Can Community Center about what high-quality care looks like in action. From sparking a love of learning to letting kids choose their own books, they share how choice, curiosity, and creativity shape meaningful early learning experiences.

To kick off the Season 4 topic of literacy, Laura sits down with team members from the Nebraska Department of Education to explore how to give children the best possible start on their literacy journey.

They dive into personal stories from toddler classrooms, the power of shared reading experiences, and how read-alouds and storytelling shape (and are shaped by) dramatic play. You’ll also hear about the importance of sequencing in stories, ways to foster curiosity and connection, and tips for making reading and writing materials more accessible to young learners.

Please give a warm welcome to Laura Cady!

You may recognize Laura from our handoff episode with Colleen, but now she officially steps in as your new host. In this episode, Laura shares her journey—from studying and teaching abroad to her deep-rooted passion for service—and how these experiences shaped her career. Get to know what inspires her and why she’s excited to lead the conversations on this podcast. Enjoy!