It’s spring break 2025, and that means it’s time for the second Nerd Sleepover! This episode comes to you from an Airbnb in beautiful Indianapolis, where host Heather Bernt-Santy gathered with some of her very favorite nerds. In this episode, we discuss challenges to “DEI”–what if we said the words every time instead of hiding behind the acronym? What’s the “other side” of diversity, equity, and inclusion? 

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It’s spring break 2025, which means it’s time for the second Nerd Sleepover in beautiful Indianapolis! In this episode, Mike Huber invites us to consider whether “data” and “evidence” are the same thing, and as you might have guessed from the title, we decided it’s not! Listen in as host Heather Bernt-Santy and some of her favorite nerds hash out claims of evidence based curriculums and other interventions with young children.

Want to support the show? Make a one time gift, or become a member and get bonus content like free webinars here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf

Thanks for listening!

Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD.

Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here.

Click here for more Heather.

For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

In February 2025, occupational therapist Kelsie Olds, who hosts a facebook page called The Occuplaytional Therapist, published a post that struck a nerve–leading to almost 4000 reactions to date, and almost 2000 shares. The post is a powerful statement on the political nature of play, of respecting children, of supporting families, and taking care of each other. Listen in as she talks us through it.

For more of Kelsie’s work, find her on Facebook as The Occuplaytional Therapist, or follow her substack here: https://occuplaytionaltherapist.substack.com/

Want to support the show? You can make a one time $5 or more

Thanks for listening!

Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD.

Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here.

Click here for more Heather.

For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

In another episode that was originally intended as a session

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Thanks for listening!

Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD.

Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here.

Click here for more Heather.

For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Physics learning for children under 5? What? Join host

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Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here.

Click here for more Heather.

For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Can play in preschool be “fake?” In this episode, host Heather Bernt-Santy is joined by Gemma Medina, Bethany Corrie and Stacy Benge to discuss the article “Vygotskian Analysis of Fake Play in Preschools: What it is and How to Distinguish it From Real Play” by Elena Yudina and published in the American Journal of Play.

Want to support the show? You can make a one time $5 or more gift, or become a member for bonus content! Find more information here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf

Thanks for listening!

Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD.

Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here.

Click here for more Heather.

For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

It’s time for another round of Nerd Study Hall, where we record a series of episodes discussing research articles connected to working with young children and their families. 

In this episode, host Heather Bernt-Santy is joined by Mike Huber and Lizz Nolasco to dissect and connect ideas from a paper titled “Preparing democratic early childhood teachers in Don’t Say Gay Times: How course readings fall short,” written by Patricia M. Cooper and Erin M. Casey and published in October 2023 for the Journal for Early Childhood Teacher Education. 

Want to show your support for the podcast, or say thank you for this episode? You can do that over on Buy Me a Coffee–make a one time donation, or become a member and get bonus content! 

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In what may be the first ever Nerd episode that starts with a quote from a LinkedIn post, author Frances Carlson joins Heather to unpack her idea that, “Since anxiety is a by-product of an aversion to risk, and young children are suffering from increasing amounts of anxiety, does it not makes sense that we intentionally plan for and cultivate a healthy amount of risk in their play, especially in their rowdy body play? We have to provide chances to climb up and down, jump off, swing around, navigate uneven surfaces, and hang from a variety of acceptable heights.”

Want to show your support for the podcast, or say thank you for this episode? You can do that over on Buy Me a Coffee–make a one time donation, or become a member and get bonus content! 

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This episode was originally recorded to be part of a “Nerd Con 2” virtual conference….and then Nerd Con 2 didn’t happen. The good news is you get it as a podcast now! Listen in as Mike Huber and Kisa Marx dig into the idea of supporting play for ALL children, really ALL children, in authentic ways. 

If you love the podcast, or want to say “thank you” for this episode, consider supporting Heather’s work with a one time donation or as member at Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf

It’s the 350th episode of That Early Childhood Nerd! To celebrate, host Heather Bernt-Santy invited listeners to submit a quote that they would like to come on the show and talk about…and here it is! Please welcome listeners Gemma Medina and Valley Varma to the show!

The quote: “They caught all the wild children and put them in zoos. They made them do sums and wear sensible shoes. They put them to bed at the wrong time of day and made them sit still when they wanted to play,” from the book/poem Wild Child by Jeanne Willis. 

To support Heather’s work or say “thank you” for this episode: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf

Thanks for listening!

Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD.

Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here.

Click here for more Heather.

For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.