Tune In: Online Radio That Speaks to Early Childhood

We’ve noticed that several early childhood sites have jumped into radio and podcasting recently. You can now download or stream programs that focus on everything from raising a self-motivated child to how childcare providers are navigating through turbulent times. Tune in to NAEYC Radio (for the National Association for the Education of Young Children), NACCP Radio (for the National Association of Child Care Professionals) and Head Start Radio, to name some of the more recent converts.

For educators and policy makers tired of reading dry reports, these podcasts are a great break. And for busy moms and dads with little time to read, here’s a chance to asborb helpful new information while folding laundry. To this development we say: Hear, hear.

Here’s a sampling of specific podcasts that have recently come across our digital desks:

• “Accessing Stimulus Dollars for Head Start,” with Ted Waters, legal counsel for the National Head Start Association.

• “How Centers are Managing the New Child Care Conundrum,” with Eric Karolak, executive director of the Early Care and Education Consortium.

• “Why Playful Learning is More Effective,” with Roberta Golinkoff, an education professor at the University of Delaware, and Mark Ginsberg, executive director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The podcasts are brought to you by BAM Radio, The Education Station, which has been developed by Rae Pica, an author and educator who has written many books about the link between children’s physical, social and cognitive development. She is also BAM Radio’s host. (BAM is an acronym for Body and Mind.) Go to the site to find a clearinghouse of all the radio shows recorded so far.