In this insightful episode, we sit down with Dr. Beth VanMeeteren, Director of the Regents’ Center for Early Developmental Education at the University of Northern Iowa, to explore what administrators, educators, and policymakers need to understand about the critical early years of learning. Dr. VanMeeteren shares her deep expertise on how young children think, learn, and make sense of the world through inquiry, play, and hands-on exploration.
Throughout the conversation, Dr. VanMeeteren addresses common misconceptions about early childhood education—challenging the idea that early learning should mirror later grades—and emphasizes the importance of developmentally appropriate practices that honor children’s natural curiosity and capacity for problem-solving. She highlights how early STEM and literacy experiences can be embedded in meaningful, play-based contexts that foster creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.
