Supporting Young Learners Through Uncertainty with Dr. Lauren Loquasto
About this episode
Dr. Erin Bailey speaks with Dr. Lauren Loquasto about supporting young children through big emotions and difficult conversations.
In this episode of Reading Inspires, host Dr. Erin Bailey speaks with Dr. Lauren Loquasto, Chief Academic Officer at Goddard Systems, about supporting young children through big emotions and difficult conversations. Dr. Loquasto explains how children's brains operate in three states—survival, emotional, and executive—and why understanding these states is crucial for parents and educators to help children feel safe and ready to learn. The conversation explores how to recognize when children are struggling with fear or anxiety, practical strategies for responding to their big questions and statements with curiosity rather than dismissal, and the power of using books like "Felix and the Picnic" to proactively create safe spaces for discussing complex topics such as family changes, emotions, and uncertainty. Dr. Loquasto emphasizes that children's challenging questions are gifts of trust, and that by pairing curiosity with routine, reassurance, and emotional vocabulary, adults can help young learners navigate their big feelings and develop healthy emotional regulation skills. About Dr. Lauren Loquasto: Dr. Lauren Loquasto is an expert in early childhood education. She currently…
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Erin Bailey
Guest: Dr. Lauren Loquasto
Topics covered
- supporting young learners
- emotional regulation
- difficult conversations
- children's emotions
- parenting strategies
Keywords
- young learners
- emotional safety
- fear and anxiety
- curiosity in parenting
- early childhood education
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Goddard Systems
Books & works: Felix and the Picnic
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