Learning, Executive Functioning, and Play

What is executive functioning?On this episode of the Learn With Less podcast, Ayelet sits down with Renee Peña Lopez, a special education and early childhood educator, to discuss how executive functioning is related to foundational learning and play in early childhood. We got the scoop about how to make play more purposeful to support this important part of brain development in infants, toddlers, and beyond.We spoke about Renee’s journey into the kind of work she does and why she’s so passionate about it, what executive functioning is and how it’s related to learning and play in early childhood, Renee’s favorite ways to make play more purposeful, and additional resources she recommends to families interested in seeking out resources about executive functioning, learning and play.QUICK LINKS FROM THE EPISODEThe Happiest Toddler on the Block, by Harvey Karp (affiliate link)Mind in the Making, by Ellen Galinsky (affiliate link)Smart But Scattered, by Peg Dawson (affiliate link)Learn With Less podcast episode, “Holistic Learning”Learn With Less podcast episode, “Labelling Emotions”Learn With Less podcast episode, “Tips to Meet Your Infant or Toddler’s Sensory Needs”Learn With Less podcast episode, “Match, Classify, Pattern”Learn With Less blog post on travel math and music activitiesSocial Stories by Carol GrayUnderstood.orgConnect with us!Ayelet: Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTubeRenee: Website / Facebook / Instagram / PinterestText transcript of this episodeAyelet: Welcome to episode 59 of the Learn With Less Podcast. Today, I’m speaking with Renee Peña Lopez. Renee is a licensed special education and early childhood teacher who has a passion for little people and their quirks. Renee pulls from her creative background in dance and her vast experience in an array of classrooms from museum education to progressive to play-based models. She truly believes that play matters in the lives of young children – and for it to matter, it must be purposeful. It is her passion to guide parents and teachers in this whirlwind time in a child’s life and to figure out together how to ...