Kindergarten Readiness and Kids Who Love to Read with Beth Gaskill of Big City Readers | Episode 25

Today I’m sitting down with Beth Gaskill, a multisensory literacy instructor and early childhood educator, popularly known as 'Miss Beth' from Big City Readers. Together, we discuss the journey of preparing your toddlers for pre-K and kindergarten. Beth shares her professional insights on fostering lifelong readers, the differences between phonics and phonological awareness, and why the shift from whole language methods to science-based reading instruction is crucial. They also discuss practical tips for parents to support their kids' early literacy skills effectively at home and how to advocate for better reading curriculums at school. Whether you have a little one on the way to pre-K or already navigating the early school years, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways to help your child thrive.Helpful Timestamps:01:37 Beth's Background and Experience06:18 Understanding Reading Methods09:51 The Shift in Reading Education14:30 Parental Involvement in Education20:40 Phonics vs. Phonological Awareness24:24 Challenges in Early Reading29:54 Spelling Tests and Memorization32:56 Kindergarten Readiness37:04 International Perspectives on Early Education41:00 Conclusion and ResourcesMore from Beth Gaskill:Follow her on Instagram @bigcityreaders bigcityreaders.com Make Reading Click, our first free learning to read workshop: https://my.demio.com/ref/NdBsEKF5wWoY4Tbs  Free Printable Resources: https://www.bigcityreaders.com/free-resources  Listen to the Play On Words PodcastEP. 71: Kindergarten Redshirting Part 1: Can You Learn To Read At Home Depot? EP. 26: Phonics vs. Phonological AwarenessAbout your host:🩺🤰🏻Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama.For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here.For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen!👉🏼 A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK DisclaimerOpinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here.Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love.Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services