Reimagine Childhood

Early Childhood Christian Network
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Education for Kids
  • Updated Biweekly

Welcome to Reimagine Childhood brought to you by Early Childhood Christian Network—where we equip you with the tools you need so you can confidently care for and teach young children. We know early childhood is prime time for all development and, yet, we often overlook our critical role in providing optimal learning experiences. In every episode, you'll find seasoned experts sharing their passion and expertise in a way that is easily applied to everyday experiences in the classroom and anywhere else you're involved with young children. We want to protect and celebrate early childhood in all its wonder and imagination, rather than rushing through it to get "prepared" for the next stage. So….how will you reimagine your approach to early childhood? We'd love to invite you on this journey with us!

  1. 10h ago

    Ep. 96 Spotting Early Learning Differences with Grace: Dyslexia, Autism, Speech/Language, and ADHD with Lisetta Layer

    In this episode of Reimagine Childhood, brought to you by the Early Childhood Christian Network, host Monica Healer welcomes Lysetta Layer, a qualified instructor and certified academic language therapist, educational diagnostician, and preschool minister at Park Cities Baptist Church, to discuss early childhood learning differences and how educators can notice and support them without diagnosing. Lysetta explains dyslexia as a neurobiological difference with early indicators (e.g., spelling and word retrieval challenges, inconsistent retention, letter/number reversals), and emphasizes the value of early remediation. The conversation also touches on autism spectrum indicators, speech and language (expressive vs. receptive) concerns, and the limits of identifying ADHD in preschool. They highlight documenting observable facts, partnering with parents compassionately, and using resources like Child Find and Texas Early Childhood Intervention (birth–36 months) and public school evaluations to access support, stressing that all children are made in God's image and can meet their potential with appropriate help.   00:00 Welcome and Mission 00:49 Meet the Expert Guest 06:04 Noticing Without Diagnosing 09:42 Dyslexia and Autism Signs 30:35 Spectrums and Diagnosis 31:53 Speech Language Basics 39:04 ADHD and Early Intervention 45:07 Resources and Closing Charge Lots of resources for this one: ChildFind in Texas: https://www.spedtex.org/resources/child-find-frequently-asked-questions Early Childhood Intervention in Texas - https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/disability/early-childhood-intervention-services International Dyslexia Association https://dyslexiaida.org Understood – For Learning and Thinking Differences https://www.understood.org/ Stand Up LD: Supporting Learning Differences https://standupld.org/ Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity http://dyslexia.yale.edu/ Autism Speaks https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism Ages & Stages Questionnaire -super helpful — https://agesandstages.com/ ECCN Course Bundle - Support Children with Special Needs and Their Families - https://earlychildhoodchristiannetwork.com/groups/supporting-children-with-special-needs-and-their-families/

  2. Sep 21

    Ep. 95 Consumers vs Creators: Technology Education for Young Children with Dr. Kayla Abshire

    In this episode of Reimagine Childhood from the Early Childhood Christian Network, host Monica Healer interviews Dr. Kayla Abshire, director of innovation and learning at San Marcos Academy, about developmentally appropriate technology education for young children. They distinguish passive screen time from intentionally teaching technology as a productivity tool, addressing concerns such as delayed language development, reduced social-emotional skills, sleep disruption, and physical impacts. Dr. Abshire shares practical, mostly hands-on strategies for pre-K, including mouse and keyboard skill-building, letter recognition, unplugged coding with movement-based sequencing games, early robotics with Bee-Bots and coding mice, and scaled-down digital citizenship focused on device care, safe clicking, and kind communication. The conversation also covers parent and teacher pushback, the need for professional development, and the goal of helping children create with technology rather than only consume it.   00:00 Welcome to Reimagine Childhood 00:50 Meet Dr Kayla Abshire 03:02 Screen Time Risks Explained 07:07 Teaching Tech Without Screens 14:12 Unplugged Coding and Robotics 20:46 Digital Citizenship and Parents 28:43 Creators Not Consumers Wrap Up

  3. Sep 7

    Ep. 94 Noticing the Signs: How Early Educators Can Help Families with Early Diagnosis with Kate Moebel & Dr. Diana Castro

    In this episode of Reimagine Childhood from the Early Childhood Christian Network, host Monica Healer talks with grandmother Kate Mobell, whose grandson Shepherd was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy just before kindergarten, and Dr. Diana Castro, a board-certified neurologist and neuromuscular physician. They explain why early educators' daily observations can help families pursue quicker evaluations and referrals, especially when concerns have been minimized. Dr. Castro outlines common early signs of Duchenne—delayed walking, speech delays, fatigue at recess, frequent falls, difficulty with stairs or jumping, toe walking, enlarged calves, and Gower's sign—and notes possible cognitive and learning impacts. The conversation also covers why early intervention matters, how treatments like gene therapy aim to increase dystrophin, and how teachers can document specific behaviors, encourage OT/PT or specialist evaluation, plan for safety needs, and compassionately support families and classmates through education and community resources like CureDuchenne.   00:00 Welcome and Purpose 02:34 Shepherd Diagnosis Story 08:17 Signs Teachers Can Spot 18:47 Learning Library Promo 19:50 Treatments and Gene Therapy 22:42 Access to Gene Therapy 25:05 Schools as Early Advocates 28:01 Supporting Families at School 35:13 Teacher Action Steps and Wrap Up Download milestone lists by age from birth to age 5 HERE! These can be super helpful in documenting what you see! https://cureduchenne.org/ has tons of resources for parents who might have a recent diagnosis. https://neuromdcenter.com/ is Dr. Castro's clinic in Dallas. She says patients from all over the world! Connect with Dr. Castro on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dianacastromd/ or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DianaCastroMD

  4. Aug 24

    Ep. 93: Protecting Childhood in a Culture of Hurry: Human Connection, Play, and Wonder with Mary Ann Bradbury

    In this episode of Reimagine Childhood, brought to you by the Early Childhood Christian Network, host Monica Healer welcomes Mary Ann Bradbury, former executive director of the Texas Baptist Church Weekday Education Association and longtime Christian education leader, to discuss cultural shifts affecting young children and families. They describe a "war" for children's hearts and minds driven by technology, social media, marketing, and increasing busyness, contributing to stress, anxiety, and loss of joy in children. Mary Ann emphasizes that attention shapes discipleship and urges Christian educators to "armor up" by prioritizing human connection, play-based learning, time in nature, reading aloud, and slower, child-led experiences that allow wonder and critical thinking. They also address pressures on parents, concerns about AI-infused toys and ed tech, and call educators and families to act as gatekeepers who protect God's design for childhood.   00:00 Welcome to Reimagine Childhood 00:50 Meet Mary Ann Bradbury 02:48 War for Kids Attention 20:50 Slowing Down Through Connection 25:06 Let Kids Lead Play 28:01 Tech Attention Trap 32:55 Nature and Parent Support You can find more from Mary Ann Bradberry in our on-line course library. Illuminating What Kids Need From You Infant/Toddler Development: Lighting the Path for Life The Child's Pathway To God Through Nature   Mary Ann mentioned a few books in this episode: The Busy Life of Ernestine Buckmeister - by Linda Raven Lodding Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne, M. Ed. Eyes Are Never Quiet by by Lori Desautels, Michael McKnight

  5. Aug 10

    Ep. 92 Sensory Integration & Balanced Brain Development: Practical OT Tips for Early Childhood with Kendra Worley

    In this episode of Reimagine Childhood from the Early Childhood Christian Network, host Monica Healer talks with pediatric occupational therapist and skidamarinkkids.com founder Kendra Worley about rising developmental concerns in young children, including sensory regulation challenges, speech delays, anxiety, ADHD, and autism-related symptoms. Kendra explains functional disconnect syndrome and God's design for brain development, describing the right brain as the foundational "brake pedal" and the left brain as the "gas pedal," and how modern life can over-stimulate left-brain activity through stress, screens, early academics, overstimulating environments, and reduced movement. She shares practical classroom strategies to support balanced development, including big-body play, stop-and-start games, breathing, encouraging an upward gaze, using the left side/left hand, visual tracking, and gratitude practices, and points listeners to her Tantrum Tamer app and resources at skidamarinkkids.com.   00:00 Welcome to Reimagine Childhood 01:37 Why Kids Are Struggling More 04:23 Gods Design for Brain Balance 13:48 Modern Triggers and Practical Fixes 22:04 Stressed Parents and Connection 22:56 Screens Replace Outdoor Regulation 25:38 Classroom Tools for Self Regulation 36:39 Gratitude Big Picture Wrap Up Here's a great article on that goes more in-depth about what you might see as far as behavior goes in children with delayed right-brain development or left-brain development! So fascinating! Find other amazing resources at https://skidamarinkkids.com/ Download the free Tantrum Tamer app to help you with tools for the classroom (or as a resource for parents). And follow Kendra(a pediatric occupational therapist) and her colleague, Ali (a speech/language pathologist) on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/skidamarinkkids/

  6. Jul 31

    Ep. 91 Transforming Toddlerhood: Tools for Power Struggles, Aggression, Biting, and Tantrums with Devon Kuntzman

    In this episode of Reimagine Childhood from the Early Childhood Christian Network, host Monica Healer welcomes Devon Kuntzman, founder of Transforming Toddlerhood, certified coach with a psychology degree, former global nanny, author, summit host, and creator with nearly one million Instagram followers. Devon reframes toddlerhood as a critical, beautiful developmental stage and explains differences between babies, young toddlers, and older toddlers, emphasizing that behavior is communication and often reflects missing skills. She shares a three-part approach—decode behavior, nurture development, and build skills—then addresses common challenges: power struggles (exit the struggle while holding limits and offering choices), physical aggression (connect, set limits, teach skills), biting (get curious, track patterns, support both children, and scaffold with safe alternatives), and tantrums (ensure safety, stay calm, uphold limits, and use "less is more" during meltdowns).   00:00 Welcome to Reimagine Childhood 00:50 Meet Devon Kuntzman 01:47 Why Toddlers Get a Bad Rap 05:06 Toddler Stages and Communication 08:52 Power Struggles and Boundaries 16:18 Hitting Biting and Skill Building 30:56 Tantrums Plus Final Takeaways If you enjoyed the conversation today and need a downloadable PDF mini-guide....HERE you go! A detailed guide to the 4 challenging toddler behaviors we talked about today. https://www.transformingtoddlerhood.com/ https://www.transformingtoddlerhood.com/book/ https://www.instagram.com/transformingtoddlerhood/

  7. Jul 13

    Ep. 90 God's Design in Diversity with Tara Hackney

    In this episode of Reimagine Childhood from the Early Childhood Christian Network, host Monica Healer talks with author and jesusloves.org founder Tara Hackney about rewriting the classic song "Jesus Loves the Little Children" after adopting a traumatized two-year-old from India and realizing the original lyrics felt outdated and incomplete. Tara shares how her experiences in global ministry and adoption awakened a deeper passion to help children understand they are purposefully made, personally known, and perfectly loved by Jesus, and how diversity reflects God's grand design. They discuss practical ways educators can honor God's image in every child through respectful interactions, creativity, empathy-building experiences, and cultural exposure, while connecting everyday actions to God's love. Monica also highlights upcoming ECCN conferences in Georgetown and McKinney, Texas. 00:00 Welcome to Reimagine Childhood 00:50 Meet Tara Hackney 02:07 Why Rewrite the Song 03:12 Adoption Sparked the Change 04:58 Gods Grand Design in Diversity 09:01 Purposefully Made Personally Known 10:54 Practical Classroom Mindset Shifts 15:01 Creativity Justice and Reasoning 16:42 Let Kids Create and Learn 19:24 Do Overs and Childlike Mercy 22:30 Quick Story Break Setup 22:43 Conference Season Preview 23:49 Keynotes and Registration 25:06 Teaching Kids Gods Love 27:46 Culture and Classroom Differences 30:43 Immersion and Empathy Activities 35:15 Worship Creativity and Discernment 40:05 Reimagine Teachers as Missionaries 42:27 Purposefully Made Reflection 44:46 Final Challenge and Farewell Connect with Tara at her website www.jesusloves.org where she also has a really cute shop with merch for you! She has a monthly newsletter where she shares lots of fun ideas as well. Here's the link if you want to sign up.  Find the song on Spotify or Youtube: Audio only - https://open.spotify.com/album/1fxDj0EWd0bJ8fPNTQj2SL Audio and video (lyric video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGR9HoxoZIA&list=RDhGR9HoxoZIA&start_radio=1 Connect with Tara on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jesusloves.ministry/ Find the book Jesus Loves The Little Children on Amazon HERE. If you'd like to place a bulk order of these little books, reach out to Tara on her website for bulk pricing.

  8. Jun 29

    Ep. 89: Connecting God's Design to Science and Rest with Sarah Philpott

    In this episode of Reimagine Childhood, brought to you by the Early Childhood Christian Network, host Monica Healer talks with Sarah Philpott—farmer's wife, mom, part-time teacher, and author—about two lift-the-flap board books for young children: Wake Up Little Seed (plant life cycles) and Moo Moo Nap Nap (midday rhythms of rest on the farm). Sarah shares how farm life inspired her to help children see God as "the who behind the science," and she offers practical classroom ideas like starting with the end in mind by opening fruit, showing seeds, planting in soil, and tracking growth over time. Their conversation also explores helping children connect food to farms, building positive nap-time routines through repetition and predictability, and making read-alouds engaging through expressive voice, prediction questions, and acting out stories. The episode also highlights ECCN's upcoming two-day Texas conferences and notes Sarah's devotional for women experiencing infant and pregnancy loss.   00:00 Reimagine Childhood Intro 00:46 Meet Sarah Philpott 01:54 Wake Up Little Seed Story 04:29 Classroom Planting Ideas 06:44 Food Comes From Farms 12:30 Moo Moo Nap Nap Rhythms 20:01 Read Aloud Tips and Wrap Connect with Sarah at https://allamericanmom.net/ On her instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sarahlphilpott/ Her children's books that we talked about today are ·       Wake Up, Little Seed ·       Moo, Moo, Nap, Nap You can find all of her books on Amazon - HERE   SPECIAL NOTE: If you or a momma in your circle of influence has suffered with infant or pregnancy loss, check out her book Loved Baby: 31 Devotions Helping You Grieve and Cherish Your Child After Pregnancy Loss

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5
out of 5
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About

Welcome to Reimagine Childhood brought to you by Early Childhood Christian Network—where we equip you with the tools you need so you can confidently care for and teach young children. We know early childhood is prime time for all development and, yet, we often overlook our critical role in providing optimal learning experiences. In every episode, you'll find seasoned experts sharing their passion and expertise in a way that is easily applied to everyday experiences in the classroom and anywhere else you're involved with young children. We want to protect and celebrate early childhood in all its wonder and imagination, rather than rushing through it to get "prepared" for the next stage. So….how will you reimagine your approach to early childhood? We'd love to invite you on this journey with us!

Information

  • Creator
    Early Childhood Christian Network
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    99
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    Reimagine Childhood

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