June 6, 2025 with Carla Ward and Melissa McCall
Bringing Parents into Literacy Strategies
How do we foster a love of literacy in young children without drilling flashcards or forcing reading before they’re ready? In this inspiring episode of The Everything ECE Podcast, literacy expert Melissa McCall of Moving Little Minds joins Carla to explore the power of play-based early literacy and how to build strong literacy foundations in early childhood education.
We discuss:
✅ Why toddlers don’t need to read—but what they do need
✅ The science of reading and what preschool educators can do to support it
✅ How to bridge the home-school connection so families feel empowered, not overwhelmed
✅ Simple ways to bring literacy into play and outdoor learning
✅ Ideas for using environmental print and everyday moments to build literacy skills
Whether you’re an ECE looking to deepen your literacy practice or a parent wanting to support your child, this episode is packed with actionable, research-based tips.
Melissa McCall
Melissa McCall is a preschool literacy consultant, literacy enrichment preschool teacher, and the founder of Moving Little Minds. With nearly 20 years of experience in early childhood education, she specializes in helping educators merge play-based learning with research-backed literacy practices. Melissa leads workshops, creates classroom tools, and offers practical strategies that empower both teachers and young learners to follow science-backed practices while having fun along the way!