Hey all! We are having a busy summer, but we don't want to stop putting out episodes for you! So, we are switching to a bi-weekly podcast and will have episodes coming out every other week. Make sure you are subscribed so you can see when new episodes come up. We love you! Support the show

Have you heard of the "100 Days Project"? . Developed as an arts exercise at Yale University, this exercise in creativity and perseverance individuals to incorporate a project into their routine. If we push ourselves to move beyond monotony in boredom, and to establish routine with the hire end, we are working towards bettering ourselves Join us as we discuss this fun family or individual project, and ideas of perseverance and routine with children- because establishing the ground...

This week, we are talking about Repetition! Repetition comes in many forms. This may include reading the same story one hundred times, learning extensions and games that repeat the same skill, peer tutoring, or passively observing a lesson or activity completed by another child. Repetition may also come from routine or the environment. Knowing what to expect, and having things happen in an ordered way, helps children to know what to expect and feel at ease. When the environment is predictable...

Today, we’re going to discuss a topic that is urgent this time of the year- Sun protection! Every child needs sun protection. The lighter someone's natural skin color, the less melanin it has to absorb UV rays and protect itself. The darker a person's natural skin color, the more melanin it has. But both dark- and light-skinned kids need protection from UV rays because any tanning or burning causes skin damage Join us as we discuss the various levels of sun damage and the skin cancer r...

This week, we are so excited to bring you an Interview with a Botanist! Lucy interviewed Rachel Tenney (BS in Plant Science) of Plant School Podcast and Tenney Plants. Rachel is super down-to-earth, fun, and extremely passionate about plants! She makes plant care simple even for those of us with the blackest of thumbs! She is also a mother and is the perfect person to teach us about how and why to include children in our planting endeavors. She teaches us all about the benefits of cari...

This week, we are going to shift gears . We are talking about grief and how to discuss it with our children. As we have discussed many times before, children are capable of much more than they are often given credit for. They are sometimes more understanding than we are as adults. When we give them the respect to include them in hard topics in a calm, consistent, and age-appropriate way, we can empower them. We make a list of steps including, sharing your feelings with your child, guiding t...

As we get closer into summer months, I begin to feel this strong urge to Tie-Dye t-shirts in the hot summer sun! Its a natural past time, summer and dyeing, and today we are talking about dye techniques, and ways to engage your child in dye based activities that are best suited for warm weather Did you know that over 90% of clothing today is dyed synthetically? This means two things when it comes to The importance of discussing dye with your children. First, it really does touch their ...

Welcome to the Speckled Bees: A Celebration of Childhood! Early childhood educators - Spencer and Lucy - discuss children, how they develop, and how teachers and guardians can support them in the hard work it takes to learn and grow! Sometimes, supporting children can get lonely and frustrating, so we are also here to help you find the fun in it! In this introductory episode, we introduce ourselves and offer our credentials, discuss the reasons that we are starting a podcast, shout out our b...

Last week we talked about the beautiful side by talking about art in nature. But nature is not always beautiful. This week, Lucy introduces a less glamorous subject, although equally intriguing, by talking about Creepy Crawlies! Hear us out! Don’t turn us off yet! This is a really amazing subject, we promise! We start with a list about why you should let and even ENCOURAGE children to play with bugs and insects. Children learn scientific principles, practice environmental stewardship,...

The weather is warming up outside, and more children, their classes, and caregivers are inclined to spend a greater time in nature! While considering ways to engage children in the great outdoors, we'd like to introduce the some ideas of merging art and nature - one of the greatest pairings throughout the course of humanity. Introducing your child to the art of nature is as simple as helping them appreciate the most natural beauties around us. Join us as we discuss -activities to bette...

We are so excited to share this episode! Lucy presents this topic at conferences, but we are publishing this for you all to listen to FOR FREE! Although, Lucy is not sharing her slides, ha! We talk about the benefits of children being barefoot, especially outside. Barefoot walking helps with building body awareness, preventing injuries, promoting proper development of foot structure and gross motor skills, encouraging healthy emotional regulation and mindfulness, grounding/earthing, and havi...

Is your family considering adding an animal member to its ranks? Do you love animals, but don't have any pets in your own home? This episode is an introduction to parents and families in all walks of life, who are considering the best ways to acclimate their children to animals in their lives. Join us as we discuss the steps towards a happy integration of child and pet, considering ideas such as building safe spaces for either party, and encouraging respect above all else! Have you recent...

Are you considering introducing a pet to your family ? Are you expecting a bundle-of-joy, and contemplating how to introduce the newest family member to your cat or dog? Does your child know how to approach an unfamiliar pet outside of the home? If any of these questions apply to or intrigue you, we encourage you to delve into this weeks episode, discussing the ins and outs of pets in a child's life. We open by discussing our personal history with pets and animals, and hop...

In this episode, we discuss Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Sometimes we talk as though intelligence is a singular concept that has a scale and we all sit at different spots on that scale. Yet we see all around us adults and children who are very smart in math but not at all good with words, musically gifted but klutzy on the athletic field and so on. Most of us, in fact, struggle with some tasks and sail through others. Although all children have the same basic nee...

In todays episode, we are discussing the creation of an art space- a studio space- for your little creators. “A Child has 100 languages” and an appropriate studio space in your home and classroom can help your children to explore each of these languages. Your classroom Atelier is the ultimate third teacher in the classroom, and should exist in a way that adds to your teaching and enhances your students learning experience. Join us as we breakdown the creation of a studio space i...

Welcome back for Part II of our literacy deep dive! These half is the fun half where we take what we talked about last week and give real examples of how to encourage a love of literacy in our homes and classrooms. We also discuss whether it is call a cootie catcher or a fortune teller. What do you say? What is something you want to try? Take a picture and tag us in it on facebook and instagram! Support the show

Don't forget to leave us a review! Today, we are talking about maybe the most common and comfortable curriculum area: literacy centers. While this seems very straightforward, we wanted to break it down more so we can better focus our energies and not go into the ‘push-down curriculum' zone. We had SO much to cover that we had to split this episode into two parts! In part one, we go over the NAEYC's position statement and then we tackle the continuum of reading and writing development. ...

Is it the hot air from a rushing locomotive, or the vapor rising from a hot cup of coffee? No, todays we're talking about S.T.E.A.M- Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. How does adding art to STEM learning and education bolster a childs learning? By adding an artistic approach to standard science and math based subjects, you are integrating these subject matters with meaningful ideas and imagery that might resonate better not JUST with the students, but with the teachers as well....

Today, we are continuing our exploration of early childhood curriculum areas with block play! Research has consistently shown that block play supports the development of mathematical thinking, social skills, abstract thinking, creativity, and most recently literacy (Hanline, Milton, Phelps 2009). We go over a brief history of the unit block then we get in to the benefits. Of course, we have to do a developmental continuum break-down! We also talk about the adults role and how important it is ...

Since 1997, there has been a steady cut in public school Music education programs across the USA. Music in education has been proven time and time again to INCREASE a childs learning abilities across multiple disciplines, and in todays episode, we dive into the facets, interests, and benefits of music in early and later educations, with long time Music specialist and early childhood educator, Susan Leone. Join us as we explore the facets of Ms. Leones experience in the musical arts, and how...