Illinois Early Learning Project

In this episode, we discuss cozy corners and their helpful uses in the classroom and at home with Caroline Hiskey and Grace Lady from Vanderbilt University.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Jessica Hardy from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign about coaching for early childhood educators: what it is, what makes a good coach, and how to make the most of the coaching experience. Note: A few times during this podcast, a word or phrase may be difficult to hear. Please refer to the written transcript of this podcast for a full account of the audio. You can find the transcript on: https://illinoisearlylearning.org/resources/podcasts/

In this episode, we talk with Kristy Doan from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) about the early childhood collaborative itinerant teaching model and how special education services can be provided in inclusive settings.

In this episode, we have a conversation with Dr. Koryne Nnoli from Morgan State University about how early childhood educators can use strategies to support multilingual learners in their classrooms where many languages are spoken.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Mary Louise Hemmeter from Vanderbilt University about the Pyramid Model and how it works to support young children's social and emotional development in a variety of early childhood settings.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Jennifer McCray from the Early Math Collaborative at the Erikson Institute about mixing early math and social studies in preschool classrooms.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Ruchi Gupta and Sarah Valaika from the Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research (CFAAR) about caring for children with food allergies in the early childhood classroom.

In this episode with Dr. Susan Johnston, we explore augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and how it relates to belonging and friendships in young children.

In this episode, we interview Dr. Ali Lewis, director of University Primary School at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and talk about integrating early literacy in a Reggio Emilia–inspired program.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jessica Bacon, chats with us about anti-ableism and inclusion and explains how we can talk about these important concepts in developmentally appropriate ways with young children.

This podcast episode features prekindergarten teacher Mickey Gilbert, who shares tips for educators, specialists, and related service providers on teaming together.

In this podcast episode, our guest Abbie Frank, founder and executive director of Bluestem Hall Nature School, a nature-based preschool in Urbana, talks about ways to incorporate nature-based education into everyday early childhood classrooms.

We speak with Dr. Susan Zoll, associate professor in elementary education at Rhode Island College and author of “Powerful Literacy in the Montessori Classroom: Aligning Reading Research and Practice,” which is about how to incorporate the science of reading into preschool classrooms.

On this podcast, we are joined by Dr. Marisa Macy, associate professor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She joins us to discuss the purpose of developmental screening tools in the early childhood field.

This podcast features Dr. Seon Yeong Yu, an associate professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. Yu shares tips for teachers and parents about friendship development for young children with and without disabilities.

In this podcast, we speak with Kelly Russell, the program director of CU Early, which serves infants, toddlers, and expectant parents in Champaign, Urbana, and Mahomet. We explore how the pandemic has changed service delivery for home visits, developmental screenings, and support groups. We also delve into the changing social and emotional needs of families of young children

On this podcast, we are joined by Christy Lee, mother to four children, two with Down syndrome. Christy shares with us some tips for parenting during the pandemic on topics such as schooling, shopping, and home life.

On this podcast, we talk with Dr. Brent McBride about the impact of COVID-19 on childcare from a director’s perspective. Dr. McBride is the director of the Child Development Laboratory and a professor of human development at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Sallee Beneke, an associate professor of early childhood education at St. Ambrose University, joins the Illinois Early Learning Project to discuss implementing the Project Approach in inclusive early childhood classrooms.

On this podcast, we are joined by Dr. Emily Dorsey, project director of the Illinois Early Learning Project. She joins us to discuss strategies for helping children with the characteristics of autism spectrum disorder succeed in inclusive early childhood classrooms.

We talk with Dr. Jenna Weglarz-Ward, an assistant professor in early childhood education and early childhood special education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, about the inclusion of infants and toddlers with disabilities and developmental delays in child care settings.

We talk with Dr. Natalie Danner, the LaVonne Kopecky Plambeck Endowed Chair of Montessori Education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, who gives us an introduction to the Montessori approach in early childhood education.

On this podcast, we are joined by Dr. Christine Spence. Dr. Spence is an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Special Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her research focuses on high-quality supports for families and providers participating in early intervention and early childhood special education systems. She joins us to talk about listening to family's voices in early childhood programs.

On this podcast, we are joined by Dr. Deserai Miller. Dr. Miller is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Special Education and teaches in the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois. Her research focuses on provisions of trauma-informed care through special education service delivery and the preparation of professionals across multiple disciplines related to trauma-informed care. She joins us to discuss strategies for supporting young children who have experienced trauma.

On this podcast we interviewed Dr. Catherine Corr from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Corr is an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education. She joins us to help us understand the impact of trauma on the lives of young children.

This podcast contains an interview with Dr. Michaelene (Micki) Ostrosky about supporting young children's friendships. Dr. Ostrosky is the head of the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

On this podcast, we are joined by Michelle Patt. Michelle Patt is an early childhood educator, consultant, and writer. Her work emphasizes learning through exploration and experimentation. She writes about the integration of art and science into preschool classroom activities to encourage children's problem solving and innovation. Michelle is preschool supervisor at Howard Area Community Center, a Preschool for All and Head Start braided program in Chicago, Illinois. She joins us to discuss strategies for encouraging young children to engage in purposeful play. She blogs about her work at Explore Inspire EC.

In this podcast, we interview Dr. Sarai Coba-Rodriguez from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In her research, she uses a family resilience perspective to learn about school readiness and family involvement among low-income Latino and African American families, including their beliefs and practices that promote young children’s successful transition to kindergarten. She joins us to share stories and insights from her research.

In this interview, we speak with Elise Proser, a speech language pathologist from the Urbana Early Childhood School in Urbana, IL. Ms. Proser received her bachelor’s degree in speech and hearing science and master’s degree in speech language pathology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has been working in the schools as a speech language pathologist for five years. She joins us to talk about supporting the language and literacy development of preschoolers and how IEPs (Individual Education Plans) are formed in early childhood programs. She also shares a bit about her journey to becoming a speech language pathologist and how students who are interested in speech pathology might explore this career.

In this podcast, we are joined by Ms. Crystal Vowels. Ms. Vowels is an experience leader in special education and principal of the Urbana Early Childhood School (UECS) in Urbana, IL. UECS recently received an award of excellence for their inclusion practices from Excelerate Illinois, the Quality Rating and Improvement Program for Early Care and Education for the state of Illinois. Ms. Vowels shares insights about how inclusive early childhood programs meet the needs of diverse young children with and without disabilities.

This podcast is an interview with Dr. Kathleen Gallagher. This interview was recorded during her visit to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Campus for the Child Development Laboratory's 75th anniversary lecture in November 2017. In this interview, she discusses her own story of becoming an early childhood educator and shares her perspectives on how high-quality early childhood education can transform the lives of young children.

This podcast contains an interview with Dr. Michaelene (Micki) Ostrosky about supporting young children's friendships. Dr. Ostrosky is the head of the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.