Play Before Pencils

About Play Before Pencils

Play Before Pencils is a podcast for early childhood educators who are interested in making the shift from teacher-led practices to a more organic, developmentally appropriate practice centered around play. Join your host, Jenn Zollinger, as you explore a wide variety of topics pertinent to the early childhood education field and how to make simple changes to incorporate them into your preschool or childcare setting.

Publisher

Jenn Zollinger

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 May 2024

Latest episode

22 Oct 2025

Latest episodes

42 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   22 Oct 2025

   Making the Case for Play: How to Talk About Play-Focused Learning with Skeptical Parents and Educators

   How do you explain the power of play to those who still see it as “just fun”? In this episode, we explore how to have meaningful, empathetic conversations with parents and fellow educators who are unsure about using play as the foundation for early learning. We’ll unpack the research, the real-world results, and the practical language you can use to bridge the gap between developmental theory and classroom reality. Whether you’re a teacher, administrator, or advocate for childhood, you’ll come away with renewed confidence in your practice—and the words to help others see that play is serious learning. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

2. 

   24 Sept 2025

   Assessment in Play-focused Classrooms

   In this episode, we explore what assessment looks like in a play-focused preschool classroom. Rather than relying on checklists or tests, we talk about how teachers become researchers—documenting children’s words, actions, and creations to understand their thinking and guide curriculum. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

3. 

   10 Sept 2025

   Supporting Preschoolers Through Separation Anxiety

   A new school year has begun and separation anxiety is something you've likely been dealing with as a preschool teacher. In today's episode we'll discuss the important role of teachers and parents in supporting young children through those tough, but developmentally normal, periods of separation anxiety. Show Notes: www.playbeforepencils.com/podcast

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 41 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

58

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

Contact Play Before Pencils

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.