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Artwork for That Early Childhood Nerd

That Early Childhood Nerd

Early Childhood Nerdwork
Early Childhood Education
Play
Education
Schema Play Theory
Free Play
Little Women
Circle Time
Schema Play
Play-Based Learning
Self-Regulation
Child-Led Play
Visual Perception
Kindergarten
Children's Rights
Outdoor Play
Language Development
Emergent Curriculum
Liberating Childhood
Kinesthetic Musicality
Rough-and-Tumble Play

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 famil... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes429Foundeda year ago
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Education

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Artwork for That Early Childhood Nerd

Latest Episodes

One of host Heather Bernt-Santy’s favorite things is to find someone who takes something she is instinctively feeling and brilliantly putting that feeling into words. In this episode, her guest Amy Chiu has done just that.

Amy joins the show to talk... more

Could child developmental theories be ageist, encouraging us to see only children’s deficits?

This week host Heather Bernt-Santy discusses this question with Dr. Jennifer Fane, co-author of the book The Sociology of Early Childhood: Young Children’s... more

In a 2026 article co-written with Brianne Kramer and Clint Broadbent, Denisha Jones explores the idea of moral injury in our work in the early childhood profession, writing, ‘Many teachers view their profession as a calling, so they take their work a... more

In this episode, host Heather Bernt-Santy is joined by Kylie Cooper, Jamie Bonczyk, and Lucy Recio to discuss their recent Exchange article titled Reclaiming Our Legacy of Imagining and Building Worlds: Countering Fascism.

Jamie shares:

The article... more

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Recent Guests

Jamie Bonczyk
Founder of Embodied Early Childhood, former preschool teacher and executive director
Embodied Early Childhood
Episode: NERD 0427 Anti Fascism in Early Childhood: Imagining and Building Worlds
Kylie Cooper
Executive Director for Rise Early Learning, co-presenter in article discussion
Rise Early Learning
Episode: NERD 0427 Anti Fascism in Early Childhood: Imagining and Building Worlds
Lucy Recio
Co-founder and principal consultant for Third Bloom Consulting
Third Bloom Consulting
Episode: NERD 0427 Anti Fascism in Early Childhood: Imagining and Building Worlds
Suzanne Axelsson
Play activist based in Stockholm, Sweden; author of The Original Learning Approach; runs Playarista trainings
Stockholm, Sweden
Episode: NERD 0425 Play and Adult Roles with Suzanne Axelsson
Jacky Howell
Author of Reflection, Perspective-Taking and Social Justice in the Early Childhood Classroom; consultant
Aspire; School for Friends (DC area)
Episode: NERD 0424 Empathy and Kindness in Early Childhood Classrooms with Jacky Howell
Em Clark
A lifelong early childhood educator, PhD candidate focusing on children's rights in early childhood education
Episode: NERD 0423 The Already Whole Child with Em Clark
Lizz Nolasco
Guest discussing finding voice and confidence, with background in early childhood work
Guest (early childhood practitioner)
Episode: TECN Bonus Episode 3: Finding Your Voice
Sam Balch
Education professional and guest on the episode
Episode: TECN Bonus Episode 2: Caregiving and Invisible Labor
Carol Garboden Murray
Guest on the episode
Episode: TECN Bonus Episode 2: Caregiving and Invisible Labor

Hosts

Heather Bernt-Santy
Host of That Early Childhood Nerd; long-time facilitator of conversations on care, play, and policy in early childhood education
Lizz Nolasco
Host of Pre-Primary Sources; frequent co-host for special episodes and discussions on practice and policy

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 13 ratings
  • Gratitude

    That Early Childhood Nerd has expqnded the dialogue and continues to support the deep reflective thinking that is so needed in our work.

    Revolutionary in its scope, adaptive in praxis, expressive in its diveraity! So much gratitude for this journey HBS brings us all on.♥️

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Northerneducator
    Canada18 days ago
  • very educational!

    I really enjoy this podcast, it is very interesting as a future ECE professional. Keep up the great work!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    bribasaur
    United Statesa month ago
  • Fix your intro—you deserve it

    This show is terrific and a huge resource for me as a beginning Early Childhood Educator. I’m not a beginning entertainer, though, I have a rich background in the arts. Your intro is all wrong. It does’t fit the quality of your show and it belittles your professional curiosity. No one uses nerd as insult any more. It does not translate that you’re even proud of your content with this intro. Please please please take better care of yourself and record an intro that reflects your authenticity: cur... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RebelYogi17
    United States4 months ago
  • What’s up with the intro?

    Great content, but it sounds like you may have not listened to your intro in a while. Super glitchy and bad editing.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Tchizzle0328
    United States4 months ago
  • An Amazing Resource

    Heather brings the best of early childhood education together to discuss relevant topics for caregivers, teachers, and ECEC advocates

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bethany Corrie
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Strong resource for caregivers and educators; guests provide evidence-informed insights.
Intro could be tighter; the content is strong but the opener drags on.
Guests consistently bring fresh, practical perspectives for teachers.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

NERD 0426 Behavior or Biology? with Amy Reyes
Q: What role does outdoor play and sensory input play in regulating young children's brains?
Outdoor play provides a natural sensory diet—movement, vestibular input, and tactile experiences—that helps regulate the nervous system, reduces sedentary behavior, and supports self-regulation and future academic readiness.
NERD 0426 Behavior or Biology? with Amy Reyes
Q: Can you explain the concept of talking to the brain, not the behavior, with a concrete example?
A child correcting a parent about 'one shoe' shows linguistic and cognitive processing; rather than calling it defiance, we acknowledge the brain's language processing and model a calm, curious response to validate understanding and support learning.
NERD 0426 Behavior or Biology? with Amy Reyes
Q: What inspired you to write this book and what main shift are you hoping readers take from it?
I wanted to move away from labeling children as defiant and instead highlight the brain and body processes driving behavior, offering science-backed, practical strategies for supporting development and self-regulation.
NERD 0424 Empathy and Kindness in Early Childhood Classrooms with Jacky Howell
Q: How have classroom pets and routines served as vehicles for empathy and responsibility?
Pets provide real-life caregiving opportunities that require kids to consider another being's needs, which extends to caring for peers and family members, and helps children practice patience, observation, and compassionate action.
NERD 0424 Empathy and Kindness in Early Childhood Classrooms with Jacky Howell
Q: Why did you include social justice in the book's title, and what does it mean in early childhood settings?
Social justice is about recognizing fairness and belonging as everyday experiences; through stories and reflective practice, teachers can help children understand and practice empathy, equity, and care in concrete ways, even in simple classroom routines.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About That Early Childhood Nerd

What is That Early Childhood Nerd about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on early childhood education through a progressive, practitioner-focused lens. Episodes frequently explore topics like empathy, play, relational care, and social justice in classrooms, often blending practical classroom strategies with research-grounded theory. Across conversations, guests and hosts challenge conventional timelines, promote child-centered pedagogy, and emphasize caregiver and teacher well-being, equity, and community involvement. A standout trait is a consistent emphasis on turning everyday interactions and policy discussions into actionable practices that honor children's rights, joy, and belonging, often using stories, literature, and real-world schooling examples to illuminate concepts.

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Which podcasts are similar to That Early Childhood Nerd?

These podcasts share a similar audience with That Early Childhood Nerd:

1. Pre-Primary Sources
2. Liberated Learning
3. Teaching With The Body In Mind
4. The Everything ECE Podcast
5. Good Hang with Amy Poehler

How many episodes of That Early Childhood Nerd are there?

That Early Childhood Nerd launched a year ago and published 429 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on That Early Childhood Nerd?

Recent guests on That Early Childhood Nerd include:

1. Jamie Bonczyk
2. Kylie Cooper
3. Lucy Recio
4. Suzanne Axelsson
5. Jacky Howell
6. Em Clark
7. Lizz Nolasco
8. Sam Balch

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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