In her 2025 article The Key to Early Literacy is Child-Led Play, published in the winter 2025 issue of Exchange, Stacy Benge writes, "Child led play is the key to developing the foundations that support future reading and writing. And not just play that connects to the alphabet and books. All PLAY fosters the fundamentals needed for literacy, the development of the whole child." Stacy joins host Heather Bernt-Santy to dig deeper!

Find Stacy’s article here: https://hub.exchangepress.com/articles-on-demand/70867/

Order the Exchange winter 2025 issue on Protecting Play: https://hub.exchangepress.com/category/articles-on-demand/issue-280-winter-2025/

Access the recording of the Protecting Play online conference: https://hub.exchangepress.com/video/74364/

Order Heather’s book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood: https://www.tcpress.com/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood-9780807787243

"Through the revisiting journey, children make sense of and give meaning to what they are learning. This journey is not linear or circular as children play and explore, then stop, then come back later and explore again in a different way. When we look closely, these complex journeys tell the story of each child’s learning. This book introduces a revisiting journeys framework to help educators understand these ways that children make sense of their learning and guide children in the next steps of their journeys. At the same time, it supports educators to create ecosystems that support messy revisiting journeys and to walk side by side with the children as they co-create their own journeys."

Listen as authors Miriam Beloglovsky and Jessica Frazier discuss their own journey to writing their book Revisiting Journeys: Understanding How Children Reflect, Reimagine, and Redesign Their Play and Learning.

Order Revisiting Journeys here: https://www.redleafpress.org/Revisiting-Journeys-Understanding-How-Children-Reflect-Reimagine-and-Redesign-Their-Play-and-Learning-P3127.aspx

Order Heather's Book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood here:

Teachers College Press: https://www.tcpress.com/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood-9780807787243

In an article written for Exchange Press's special issue on Protecting Play, Stephanie Goloway wrote, "Like all forms of play, the magic of make-believe (AKA dramatic play, pretend play, fantasy play, sociodramatic play, etc) has deep roots in child development. It's the perfect playground for young brains to flex their growing capacity for representational thinking, the foundation of literacy."

Stephanie joins host Heather Bernt-Santy in this episode to discuss how make believe play protects and fosters children's development and joy. 

Find the special issue here: https://hub.exchangepress.com/shop/280-winter-2025/

Find more of Stephanie here: https://www.imaginationonthemove.com/about

Order Heather's book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood here: 

Teachers College Press: https://www.tcpress.com/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood-9780807787243

Exchange Press: https://www.tcpress.com/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood-9780807787243

Join host Heather Bernt-Santy and fellow Nerd Mike Huber as they talk with Rachel Payne about her new children's book Let's Rumble: A Rough-and-Tumble Book of Play. 

Find more information about Rachel and buy her book here: https://www.rachelgpayne.com/rumble

Order Heather’s book, Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood, today!

Teachers College Press  https://tinyurl.com/4rtccewb

Amazon  https://a.co/d/aQpOA2j

Bookshop.org  https://tinyurl.com/ppe66cms

Happy 2026! We're so glad you found That Early Childhood Nerd in its new feed! Heather knew she wanted this first episode of the "new era" to be special, and thankfully, Lisa Murphy agreed to be the guest!

Lisa is here to talk with Heather about her new book and the writing process. How fun! 

Order Heather’s book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood today!

Teachers College Press  https://tinyurl.com/4rtccewb

Amazon  https://a.co/d/aQpOA2j

Bookshop.org  https://tinyurl.com/ppe66cms

Host Heather Bernt-Santy knew as soon as she read the Defending the Early Years blog post, “How Did Early Childhood Programs Become So Focused on School Readiness Skills” by Dr Dale Farran–she HAD to invite Dr Farran to discuss it. And here she is! 

Find the blog post here: https://dey.org/how-did-early-childhood-programs-become-so-focused-on-school-readiness-skills/

IMPORTANT REMINDER! After this episode, That Early Childhood Nerd will be published by Heather and the Early Childhood Nerdwork instead of Explorations Early Learning. If you have subscribed to the show on iTunes or Spotify, you’ll have to find the new feed for the show and resubscribe. Just search That Early Childhood Nerd, and find the new feed!

Host Heather Bernt-Santy knew as soon as she read the Defending the Early Years blog post, “How Did Early Childhood Programs Become So Focused on School Readiness Skills” by Dr Dale Farran–she HAD to invite Dr Farran to discuss it. And here she is! 

Find the blog post here: https://dey.org/how-did-early-childhood-programs-become-so-focused-on-school-readiness-skills/

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.

Author and educator Sally Haughey is here to discuss the incredible unfolding and blossoming that happens during play. Her new book Nurturing Brilliance provides a science-based approach to understanding and sharing about the inherent brilliance of children’s growth and development. 

Find Sally’s book here: https://www.redleafpress.org/Nurturing-Brilliance-Using-Play-Activated-Learning-to-Awaken-Childrens-Potential-P3103.aspx

More of Sally’s work: https://wunderled.com/about/

Have you ordered Heather’s book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood yet? It's available now!

From Teachers College Press: https://www.tcpress.com/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood-9780807787243

From Amazon: https://a.co/d/bvcJwIk

Author and educator Sally Haughey is here to discuss the incredible unfolding and blossoming that happens during play. Her new book Nurturing Brilliance provides a science-based approach to understanding and sharing about the inherent brilliance of children’s growth and development. 

Find Sally’s book here: https://www.redleafpress.org/Nurturing-Brilliance-Using-Play-Activated-Learning-to-Awaken-Childrens-Potential-P3103.aspx

More of Sally’s work: https://wunderled.com/about/

Have you ordered Heather’s book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood yet? It’s available now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org or you can order directly from the publisher on the Teachers College Press website

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.

Carly Bedard, a play facilitator for adult early educators, joins host Heather Bernt-Santy to discuss the ways that self active play can transform early childhood practitioners’ practice with young children. Listen in as Heather shares the ways participating in one of Carly’s workshops at a recent teacher retreat reminded her of the importance of being an adult who plays in order to provide spaces and programming where children can play. 

Have you ordered Heather’s book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood yet? It's available now!

From Teachers College Press: https://www.tcpress.com/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood-9780807787243

From Amazon: https://a.co/d/bvcJwIk