That Early Childhood Nerd

Early Childhood Nerdwork

If you love thinking deeply about childhood, early childhood education, caring for children, and supporting children’s right to play, this is the podcast for you! Each week, host and self-proclaimed early childhood nerd Heather Bernt-Santy invites practitioners, writers, and thinkers who share her commitment to doing the very best we can for children, their caregivers and teachers, and their families to discuss big ideas, real life practices, and cool research. Let’s get nerdy!

  1. 3h ago

    TECN Bonus Episode 2: Caregiving and Invisible Labor

    In this episode, we revisit Little Women and its themes of caregiving and invisible labor. From Marmee's care work at home and in the community, emotional and domestic responsibilities of the March sisters, Beth's almost martyr-like caring, and Hannah's role in the family and care load, we explore the often unseen work that holds families and communities together.  Sam Balch and Carol Garboden Murray join host Heather Bernt-Santy to connect these themes to early care and education, where care work remains essential, undervalued, and too often invisible.  Order Heather’s book, Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood, here: https://www.tcpress.com/products/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood_9780807783177 Join our new Patreon community! For just $5 a month you can support all the Early Childhood Nerdwork podcasts AND join our Discord server to chat with the hosts and others who are working for children, their families, and their teachers: https://www.patreon.com/cw/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd Thanks for listening!

  2. 1d ago

    TECN Bonus Episode 1: Little Women and Teaching

    It’s the show’s 10th anniversary! In honor of the anniversary, we are releasing FIVE episodes this week, starting with a re-release of the very first episode. This episode originally aired on August 1, 2016...back then the podcast was called Cause an Effect. A lot has changed since then, including the host's name (from Heather Wenig to Heather Bernt-Santy) but we hope you will tune in!  In this episode, Heather is joined by Tiffany Pearsall to talk about the connection between this quote from Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" and our work with young children: "Mr Davis knew any quantity of Greek, Latin, algebra, and ologies of all sorts so he was called a fine teacher, and manners, morals, feelings, and examples were not considered of any importance." Order Heather’s book, Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood, here: https://www.tcpress.com/products/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood_9780807783177 Join our new Patreon community! For just $5 a month you can support all the Early Childhood Nerdwork podcasts AND join our Discord server to chat with the hosts and others who are working for children, their families, and their teachers: https://www.patreon.com/cw/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd Thanks for listening!

  3. 6d ago

    NERD 0421 Autistic Play and Autistic Joy with Kara Ketter

    Let's talk autistic play and autistic joy! Host Heather Bernt-Santy is joined in this episode by autistic educator, preschool teacher, and disability justice advocate Kara Ketter and the conversation starts with this quote:  “If I could change three things about how the world sees autism, they would be these. That the world would see that we feel joy—sometimes a joy so intense and private and all-encompassing that it eclipses anything the world might feel. That the world would stop punishing us for our joy, stop grabbing flapping hands and eliminating interests that are not “age-appropriate”, stop shaming and gas-lighting us into believing that we are never, and can never be, happy. And that our joy would be valued in and of itself, seen as a necessary and beautiful part of our disability, pursued, and shared.” Read the full blog post here: https://tinyurl.com/yfhpd6c3 Order Heather’s book, Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood, here: https://www.tcpress.com/products/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood_9780807783177 Join our new Patreon community! For just $5 a month you can support all the Early Childhood Nerdwork podcasts AND join our Discord server to chat with the hosts and others who are working for children, their families, and their teachers: https://www.patreon.com/cw/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd Thanks for listening!

  4. Jul 15

    NERD 0420 We Have Surrendered to the Children with Kimberlee Hendricks

    In her article for Exchange's winter 2025 issue on Protecting Play, Kimberlee Hendricks shares how her program's commitment to providing a space that belonged to children, that protected play required that they surrender some things, and that they remember what play feels like for adults. She talks with host Heather Bernt-Santy about surrendering to children  in this episode. You can read Kimberlee’s article here: https://hub.exchangepress.com/articles-on-demand/70263/ Order Heather’s book, Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood, here: https://www.tcpress.com/products/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood_9780807783177 Join our new Patreon community! For just $5 a month you can support all the Early Childhood Nerdwork podcasts AND join our Discord server to chat with the hosts and others who are working for children, their families, and their teachers: https://www.patreon.com/cw/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd Thanks for listening!

  5. Jul 8

    NERD 0419 Caroline Pratt: More Than Just Blocks (But We Love the Blocks!)

    Did you know that the familiar wooden unit blocks that so many early childhood spaces have were created in the early 20th century be a progressive educator named Caroline Pratt? I did know that--but I didn't know what an amazing, interesting, spirited woman she really was.  Join me, host Heather Bernt-Santy, as Charleen Kepner takes us on a journey to get to know the truly amazing ways that Caroline Pratt challenged the status quo and championed children's right to a meaningful education...including amazing quotes from Pratt that delighted me.  You can read Charleen’s thesis on Caroline Pratt here: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/honorstheses/1649/ Order Heather’s book, Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood, here: https://www.tcpress.com/products/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood_9780807783177 Join our new Patreon community! For just $5 a month you can support all the Early Childhood Nerdwork podcasts AND join our Discord server to chat with the hosts and others who are working for children, their families, and their teachers: https://www.patreon.com/cw/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd Thanks for listening!

  6. Jul 1

    NERD 0418 Potty Training and School: Whose Job Is It Anyway?

    A May 2026 article posted by Education Week wonders, "Who's Responsible for Toilet Training? Schools or Families?" While the article is a measured report of data and policies, the headline hit a nerve for host Heather Bernt-Santy. How can we say it's one or the other? What developmental considerations need to be included in the question? What systemic barriers are in place? And for goodness sake, why did they select a photo of a defiant looking preschooler for the post?  Lizz Nolasco joins Heather to unpack, to wonder, and to stand up for the child caught between school and family. Find the article here: https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/whos-responsible-for-toilet-training-schools-or-families/2026/05 Order Heather’s book, Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood, here: https://www.tcpress.com/products/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood_9780807783177 Join our new Patreon community! For just $5 a month you can support all the Early Childhood Nerdwork podcasts AND join our Discord server to chat with the hosts and others who are working for children, their families, and their teachers: https://www.patreon.com/cw/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd Thanks for listening!

  7. Jun 24

    NERD 0417 Carcerality and Child Care with Kisa Marx

    In our second episode with Kisa Marx about her new book, we had to dig into two quotes to get a full picture for our conversation.  "Care is a birthright--an inherent need that follows us throughout our lives. From the moment a child is born they are entitled to care, not just as a basic necessity but as something that nurtures their growth, autonomy, and capacity to imagine a future where they belong." "We hold dreams for children--visions of freedom, exploration, connection, and joy. Yet in practice, these dreams are often stifled by deficit-based narratives. These narratives don't merely fail to nurture children's potential, they actively strip away the empathy, belonging, and joy essential to their development." Kisa is here to talk us through it.  Order Kisa’s book here: https://tinyurl.com/5ckscscz To find out more about the Play Lab Foundation: https://theplaylabnfpoakpark.org/the-play-lab Order Heather’s book, Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood, here: https://www.tcpress.com/products/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood_9780807783177 Join our new Patreon community! For just $5 a month you can support all the Early Childhood Nerdwork podcasts AND join our Discord server to chat with the hosts and others who are working for children, their families, and their teachers: https://www.patreon.com/cw/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd Thanks for listening!

  8. Jun 17

    NERD 0416 Risky Play at School with Megan Zeni and Mariana Brussoni

    "We know that schools and classrooms can be tough spaces to work and learn. The good news is that OPAL almost always offers a pathway for improving learning conditions, no matter which difficulties districts, schools, or classroom teachers identify as priority issues. Improved mental health, student engagement, staff wellness, joy and wonder in the school day are all possible when OPAL and risky play are supported in schools." Whether you work with children before they go to formal school or in an elementary/primary setting, you'll want to listen as host Heather Bernt-Santy talks with Dr. Megan Zeni and Dr. Mariana Brussoni about their book Embracing Risky Play at School: Getting Kids Outdoors to Explore, Learn, and Grow.  You can order Embracing Risky Play at School here: https://www.tcpress.com/products/embracing-risky-play-at-school_9780807784006 You can find the study Dr. Zeni and Dr. Brussoni referenced in this episode here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494426001635 Find  Order Heather’s book, Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood, here: https://www.tcpress.com/products/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood_9780807783177 Join our new Patreon community! For just $5 a month you can support all the Early Childhood Nerdwork podcasts AND join our Discord server to chat with the hosts and others who are working for children, their families, and their teachers: https://www.patreon.com/cw/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd Thanks for listening!

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About

If you love thinking deeply about childhood, early childhood education, caring for children, and supporting children’s right to play, this is the podcast for you! Each week, host and self-proclaimed early childhood nerd Heather Bernt-Santy invites practitioners, writers, and thinkers who share her commitment to doing the very best we can for children, their caregivers and teachers, and their families to discuss big ideas, real life practices, and cool research. Let’s get nerdy!

Information

  • Creator
    Early Childhood Nerdwork
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    418
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    That Early Childhood Nerd

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