Moving Little Minds

Moving Little Minds M.A. Ed. Resources and tips to merge research with play in early literacy education!

09/01/2026

We explicitly teach children how to do SO many things.

How to hold a fork.
How to put on their socks.
How to use scissors.

Because we know they need practice, guidance, and instruction.

But mention explicitly teaching the alphabet and suddenly we run for the hills.

“Let them discover it!”
“They’ll pick it up naturally!”

The alphabet is a skill, too.

And if you’re resisting the instruction part, here’s the good news: you can make it playful. We help with that!

👍 if you agree.

September is looking pretty great! 🎉We’re bringing back TWO of our most popular events!Our FREE Science of Reading for P...
09/01/2026

September is looking pretty great! 🎉

We’re bringing back TWO of our most popular events!

Our FREE Science of Reading for Preschoolers webinar
Our 26-Day Alphabet Introduction Challenge

Whether you’re looking to strengthen your literacy instruction or finally feel confident about teaching the alphabet, we’ve got you covered!

Sign up here: https://linktr.ee/movinglittleminds

08/31/2026

After 20 years in the classroom, I can’t believe I had never learned this trick! 🤯

I absolutely LOVE this for a large class because we all know how hard it can be to give every child a chance to talk and share their ideas.

When a child is sharing and another child has had the same experience, thought, or idea, they can use the sign for SAME instead of interrupting or waiting for a turn to speak.

It’s such a simple way to let children know, “I hear you. Me too!” while keeping the conversation moving.

And yes… I’m not quite doing the sign correctly in the video! 😂 The sign I’m demonstrating is meant to represent SAME.

20 years in, and I’m still learning new tricks. Give it a try!

08/31/2026

Add this name chant to your morning circle!

Have the children stand in a large circle, each holding their name notecard.

🎵 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
My name is Melissa and I say HI!
6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Back it up and meet my friend! 🎵

Then the next child takes a turn until everyone has been introduced!

At Moving Little Minds, we follow research-based practices, and names are one of the easiest and most meaningful places to begin teaching the alphabet. Our curriculum celebrates names with songs and chants at the beginning of the year and continues using names throughout the year to build alphabetic knowledge.

And yes… I clearly don’t have the right name card in the picture! 😂

Comment NAMES to learn more about our curriculum or see my comment for the link! 

Somewhere along the way, we started treating “academic” like a four-letter word in Pre-K.If you say academics, people as...
08/30/2026

Somewhere along the way, we started treating “academic” like a four-letter word in Pre-K.

If you say academics, people assume worksheets.

If you say explicit instruction, people assume drills.

If you say you’re teaching a skill, people assume children aren’t playing.

And I think that’s where we’ve gotten ourselves into trouble.

Play and academic learning are not opposites. And being play-based does not mean every single skill must be taught through play alone.

We can have meaningful, protected time for play AND intentionally teach children the skills they need.

We can teach routines and procedures AND create playful classrooms.

We can use movement, songs, games, exploration, small groups, explicit instruction—and yes, play—to support learning.

Academics aren’t the enemy. Making play and academics enemies is.

All September, I’m going all in on PLAY-what it really means, what it can look like, and why getting clear on the difference between play, playful learning, and intentional instruction matters. HIT FOLLOW TO JOIN IN THE CONVO!

I walk into one classroom and play-based learning means lots of free play with very little teacher-directed instruction....
08/29/2026

I walk into one classroom and play-based learning means lots of free play with very little teacher-directed instruction.

Then I walk into another classroom and play-based learning means worksheets, centers, and teacher-directed activities—with a little play mixed in.

Both teachers tell me they’re play-based.

And honestly? I get the confusion.

Because what does play-based actually mean?

Somewhere along the way, these terms got tangled up—and preschool teachers are left trying to figure out what they’re actually supposed to be doing.

Let’s untangle it. Comment PLAY to subscribe!

08/28/2026

I was so honored to have a conversation with one of the leading researchers in early childhood education.

We were talking about our recent pilot study with three- and four-year-olds and the results we’re seeing when we intentionally teach early literacy skills through play.

I brought up something I hear all the time:

There is SO much pushback around instruction in preschool.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

Young children are capable of amazing things when we make learning fun.

And she said something that really stuck with me:

“It’s not just what we do. It’s how we do it.”

YES.

That is at the heart of Moving Little Minds.

We don’t underestimate what preschoolers are capable of. We find out what they CAN do, and then we create playful, engaging, developmentally appropriate ways to help them get there.

Because when children are moving, playing, talking, laughing, and having fun…

They don’t even realize how much they’re learning.

That’s what it can look like to bring the Science of Reading into preschool without taking the play out of preschool.

If you’re looking for a way to intentionally build early literacy skills while keeping learning playful and developmentally appropriate, we’re here for you.

Comment PLAY and I’ll send you our curriculum.

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