Épisodes

  • Having Difficult Conversations
    Jul 16 2025

    In the last episode, we talked about communicating with parents, and in this follow-up episode we will focus on having difficult conversations--how to handle situations when you need to discuss emotionally-charged topics with parents and what to do if you have a parent that is simply difficult to work with.


    Show Notes:

    www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

    Voir plus Voir moins
    14 min
  • Communicating Effectively with Parents
    Jun 4 2025

    Whether you’re a preschool teacher, daycare provider, or administrator, the connection you build with parents can make or break a child’s success in your care. Today we'll discuss why strong communication with parents is so critical in early childhood education and how we can communicate well, even when we’re juggling 1000 other things!




    Voir plus Voir moins
    14 min
  • One Year Later
    May 7 2025

    Celebrate the one year anniversary of the launch of the Play Before Pencils Podcast with me! We'll take a look back over the year and what it's taught us about the importance of play in early childhood classrooms.


    Show Notes:

    www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

    Voir plus Voir moins
    7 min
  • Transitioning from Chaos to Calm
    Apr 23 2025

    In today's episode, we take a look at transitions--why they are hard for young children and how we can approach them with more strategy to minimize the impact they have on the students in your early childhood classroom.


    Show Notes:

    www.playbeforepencils.com

    Voir plus Voir moins
    9 min
  • 3 Things That DO NOT Prepare Children for Kindergarten
    Apr 9 2025

    As the school year nears an end, early childhood teachers are often asked the question "Is my child ready for kindergarten?" If we've done our jobs well, we can confidently say "YES!" without ever having engaged in 3 common preschool practices that actually work against a child being ready to move on in school.


    Show Notes:

    www.playbeforepencils.com

    Voir plus Voir moins
    11 min
  • Whole Body Listening
    Mar 26 2025

    Whole Body Listening….is it helpful or harmful in today’s early childhood classrooms? Join host Jenn Zollinger as she explores the answer to that question in this episode of the Play Before Pencils Podcast.


    Show Notes:

    www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

    Voir plus Voir moins
    17 min
  • Ditch the Worksheets!
    Mar 12 2025

    Emergent writing is a process that requires far more support than a worksheet could ever provide. Join me as I discuss a few of the foundational skills necessary for young children to become successful writers and how to create a classroom environment that supports those skills WITHOUT the use of worksheets!


    Click HERE to save 20% on my course Ditch the Worksheets: Emergent Writing in Play-based Classrooms, or visit the show notes below.


    Show Notes:

    www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

    Voir plus Voir moins
    13 min
  • Behavior Charts in Early Childhood Classrooms
    Feb 19 2025

    Behavior charts are designed to help children visualize their behavior in real time and they are popular because they are simple to implement and seem to keep classrooms running smoothly. But beneath the surface, there is a darker side to these systems and they can wind up undermining a child's intrinsic motivation to do good and leave them feeling emotionally unstable in the classroom. Join me as I discuss better ways to elicit the positive behavior you want from the students in your classroom.


    Show Notes:

    www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

    Voir plus Voir moins
    11 min