That Early Childhood Nerd

Latest Episodes:

NERD_0392 The Hyper Focus on School Readiness with Dr Dale Farran Dec 12, 2025

Show notes

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.

NERD_0391 Nurturing Brilliance with Sally Haughey Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

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.

NERD_0390 Self Active Play for the Grown Ups with Carly Bedard Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

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 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.

NERD_0389 The Child’s Right to Participation Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

Early childhood education researcher and advocate Emily Clark is back for another conversation with host Heather Bernt-Santy. In this episode, they talk about her work on children’s rights in early childhood programs.

Here’s more from Emily: https://www.earlyedem.com/

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.

NERD_0388 Developmental Cascades in Childhood Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

Join host Heather Bernt-Santy in a conversation with Dr. Zlata Stankovic-Ramirez, Dr. Danielle McLellan-Bujnak, and Dr. Josh Thompson about their work regarding the idea of developmental cascades. The work presents a potential shift in the language used to describe child development as they propose moving away from the traditional ages-and-stages framework and incorporating the
concept of developmental cascades.

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.

NERD_0387 Play Pedagogy: The Antidote to GERM (Global Education Reform Movement) Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

The book The Commodification of American Education: Persistent Threats and Paths Forward includers a powerful chapter written by Denisha Jones in which she writes, “To protect childhood, we must resist GERM and all its manifestations in early childhood education.” In this episode, host Heather Bernt-Santy has a conversation with Denisha about what this means, why we need to do more than just resist, and the impacts for children if we do not take action.

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

NERD_0386 If They Play, Am I Still a Teacher? Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

For a recent special issue of the early childhood magazine Exchange on protecting play, host Heather Bernt-Santy wrote an article addressing the often asked question, “If I just let children play, how am I still a teacher?” She talks more about this question with Sam Balch.

FREE virtual Protecting Play conference: https://hub.exchangepress.com/shop/protecting-play/

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.

NERD_0385 ECE Higher Ed-Preparation for What? Oct 22, 2025

Show notes

Every now and again, host and early childhood professor Heather Bernt-Santy has a little panic–what if by teaching current ideas, theories about good practice, and new research about working with young children, she’s just setting students up to be frustrated or to get in trouble when they work in programs where they don’t see what they’re learning about in class? In this episode, she talks it through with fellow ECE professor Richard Cohen.

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.

NERD_0384 Child Care for All: Author Elliot Haspel Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

Elliot Haspel’s newest book, Raising a Nation: 10 Reasons Every American Has a Stake in Child Care for All makes a powerful case that ensuring child care for every family who wants or needs access benefits each of us. Listen to host Heather Bernt-Santy’s conversation with Elliot about the way child care for all can support the values of those who believe in national security, family values, community, racial and gender equity and more.

More about Elliot: https://elliothaspel.com/

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.

NERD_0383 Nap Times in Child Care Settings Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct says, “Above all, we shall not harm children. We shall
not participate in practices that are emotionally damaging, physically harmful, disrespectful, degrading,
dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating to children.”

What does this have to do with nap time in child care settings? A whole lot, according to host Heather Bernt-Santy and her guests Kisa Marx, Tiffany, Pearsall, Lizz Nolasco and Carol Garboden Murray.

Have you ordered Heather’s book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood yet? Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org, or straight 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.

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