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Pre-Primary Sources

Pre-Primary Sources

pre-primary-sources 12 Episodes Aug 1, 2026

In the world of early childhood education, "research says" can be a conversation stopper. But at Pre-Primary Sources, we talk about the science of child development with researchers and practitioners to get a broader picture of what the evidence says and how it can be applied.

Episodes

Taxonomies Pt. 3 With Lisa Murphy and Tiffany Pearsall
Taxonomies Pt. 3 With Lisa Murphy and Tiffany Pearsall Aug 1, 2026 2974 The final installment of learning taxonomies-- are they valuable, and for whom? 
Taxonomies pt. 2 with Tiffany Pearsall and Lisa Murphy
Taxonomies pt. 2 with Tiffany Pearsall and Lisa Murphy Jul 17, 2026 2391 Talking about learning goals: does a hierarchy imply a value judgement? Why do we need to name learning objectives anyway? 
Toilet Learning! With Heather Bernt-Santy
Toilet Learning! With Heather Bernt-Santy Jul 3, 2026 2539 This is technically part 2 of a conversation about toilet learning-- check That Early Childhood Nerd # 418 for the companion episode.   References: Aggelpol, T. Information as a crucial factor for toilet training by parents Al-Hazmi, H. H. Age of Initiation and the Factors Associated with Toilet Training in Healthy Saudi Children Axelrod, M. I. Psychological differences between toilet trained and
10. Taxonomies Pt. 1 with Tiffany Pearsall and Lisa Murphy
10. Taxonomies Pt. 1 with Tiffany Pearsall and Lisa Murphy Jun 19, 2026 1358 Bloom's Taxonomy-- Lisa felt like she discovered fire, Tiffany thought it was ... and who said you have to Maslow before you can Bloom first? We talk about classifying knowledge, seeing people learning, and what it means to learn.   Sources: Benjamin, L. J., 2006 American psychology’s struggles with its curriculum: Should a thousand flowers Bloom? Training and education in professional psychology,
9. Egocentrism, Morality, and Zen
9. Egocentrism, Morality, and Zen May 7, 2026 2034 Richard Cohen from Zen and the Art of Early Childhood joins Lizz Nolasco to talk about what egocentrism really means, and how it impacts practice in early childhood settings. See the Mountains Task here: Piaget's Mountains Task - YouTube Talk nerdy with all of That Early Childhood Nerdwork! Get access to the Discord and more at https://patreon.com/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd 
8. Research is Reading and Thinking Collaboratively, with Em Clark
8. Research is Reading and Thinking Collaboratively, with Em Clark Apr 10, 2026 1517 Em Clark, from Liberating Childhood, is on to talk about reading research-- who can do it (everyone!), why it's important, and how to get started. Get started at liberatingchildhood.org!   Did you know you can support the hosting costs of The Early Childhood Nerdwork on Patreon, and get Discord access to talk nerdy with like-minded folks too? https://patreon.com/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyCh
7. Screen Time, with Bethany Corrie
7. Screen Time, with Bethany Corrie Apr 1, 2026 2823 If you spend time with young children, invariably you will at some point get into conversations about screen time-- the detriments, maybe some benefits, and definitely some judgements, no matter where you land. In this episode, Bethany and I discuss our own experiences with digital media as educators and parents, and some perhaps surprising information that may influence how we're looking at the h
6. Coloring Pages, Part 2, with Tiffany Pearsall
6. Coloring Pages, Part 2, with Tiffany Pearsall Mar 13, 2026 2588 We're back with Tiffany Pearsall! In part one, we talked about creativity; but a lot of the information out there is really about coloring pages and mental health. Where does using this research fit in with ethical practice in early childhood settings? What are our responsibilities and professional scope of practice? And of course, where do coloring pages fit in a setting that wants to offer child
5. A New Vision for a High Quality Preschool Curriculum with Dr. Denisha Jones
5. A New Vision for a High Quality Preschool Curriculum with Dr. Denisha Jones Feb 27, 2026 2447 Dr. Denisha Jones, of Defending the Early Years (DEY) and I discuss the 2024 publication from the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine called A New Vision for High-Quality Preschool Curriculum; in particular, we look at Chapter 4: Developing High-Quality, Equitable Preschool Curricula, and discuss what real commitment to equitable education looks like, and who should be developi
4. No Benefit to Group Care Prior to Age 3? with Heather Bernt-Santy
4. No Benefit to Group Care Prior to Age 3? with Heather Bernt-Santy Feb 13, 2026 2251 In the enormous child care care ecosystem conversation, there is an idea that one to one care, like a nanny, parent, or grandparent, is ideal until a child is three years old, at which point they are able to "benefit" from being in a group with other children. We look at this claim, the idea that group care is either not beneficial or actively detrimental, and talk about what quality of care reall
3. Coloring Pages and Creativity, with Tiffany Pearsall
3. Coloring Pages and Creativity, with Tiffany Pearsall Feb 5, 2026 2292 While there isn't often a hard and fast rule, coloring pages are often looked at as "busy work" or as having no place in a child led classroom, with beliefs about the potential for negative impact on children's creativity and discovery. Why would a child want to learn to draw independently if we have pages already made with all of the pictures they could want to draw! Surprisingly, there's very li
2. Teacher as Researcher, with Alexandra Dutton
2. Teacher as Researcher, with Alexandra Dutton Jan 16, 2026 2516 The Reggio Emilia approach values the idea of the teacher as researcher; program director Alexandra Dutton, of Old Firehouse School, has nearly 20 years of experience supporting educators in their role as researcher of their own group of children.    Find Fireside Chats on the Young Mind wherever you get your podcasts!

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