Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa McCall.
Hi Melissa, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I have always loved being around children. My mom always told me how my face would light up for as long as she can remember when little ones entered the room. I followed this passion, babysitting and working at science camps in high school, and became a UNC-Chapel Hill Teaching Fellow in college. I graduated with a BA in Elementary Education and eventually earned my MA in Special Education. From there, I have had many educational jobs, and the job that has taught me the most about education is being a mother of two children. My undiscovered love for preschool education came unconventionally. Back in 2020, when the world stopped, I was at home in Rogers, Arkansas, with a preschooler and a kindergartener.
I went full-on teacher mode, embracing my new normal with my kids at home. Understanding the struggles that many families of preschoolers were having, I decided to create detailed lesson plans for families in my area. I would email the plans full of literacy and math lessons, art projects, links to videos, and online games each week. So many people expressed gratitude, and I received compliments about how fun and engaging the plans were. I continued writing and sending plans for several weeks until the school year ended. I loved the process and helping others, but the summer passed, the school year began, and I no longer continued. Looking back, I was ignoring the signs from the universe that I was pretty talented at creating fun, engaging lesson plans for preschoolers! It felt like something other than work. It was fun; it came naturally to me, and using the lessons with my son, I knew how effective they were. Here I am, four years later, and I believe that the stars have finally aligned. I’ve found my calling as a preschool literacy teacher and an adult educator. I love my current job, spreading the love of literacy to children. Still, I equally love educating teachers and parents on how to give children more meaningful literacy experiences on a day-to-day basis. I know that young children are capable of amazing things. They are capable of many things that we, as adults, are often unaware of. My mission is to open the eyes to these capabilities and how we can and should both TEACH and PLAY to prepare our children for a positive future!
Would it be a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Moving Little Minds has been a journey filled with unique challenges, particularly in navigating the evolving landscape of preschool education. One of the most significant hurdles has been the prevalent emphasis on play-based learning, where the mere mention of ”teaching” often triggers resistance. Over time, I’ve grappled with finding a balance between teaching vital foundational skills and the natural essence of play. It became crucial to advocate for the integration of both, highlighting that teaching doesn’t necessarily entail rigid lessons but can seamlessly blend with fun and simple lessons and extend through playful exploration. I have opened the eyes of the teachers and parents at my preschool about how this merging can significantly benefit our children and how learning can be intentional and fun!
Another struggle I have encountered is navigating the challenge of meeting families’ needs and accommodating their time constraints when developing effective preschool literacy products. Experimenting with various curriculums and learning kits highlighted the fact that parents seek straightforward and accessible resources to engage their children effectively. Recognizing this need was pivotal. It inspired the creation of the 100 Days of Preschool Literacy Activities to Move Little Minds Tear-Off Pad. This product aims to offer parents simple and effective literacy activities that build key foundational skills for later reading success. It is designed to align with busy lifestyles, with each activity taking just a few intentional minutes while seamlessly blending playful activities with essential foundational instruction.
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Moving Little Minds, LLC?
Moving Little Minds is committed to early literacy education by focusing on children and educating the adults who influence their lives. Children across America struggle significantly to learn to read. If children have a strong foundation from the start, we can change the future of America. This change starts by educating parents and teachers about our children’s amazing capabilities. The nation has begun pushing for reading instruction in elementary schools that follows the science of reading. However, many preschool parents and teachers need to be made aware of these scientific approaches, missing out on strategies to develop crucial early literacy skills that make learning to read much easier. Through preschool professional development, parent coaching, and preschool products, we can provide every child with a bright future. Moving Little Minds is dedicated to delivering quality preschool instruction and training others in research-based literacy activities that merge instruction with play to maximize children’s potential! Every child deserves a fair start. That is why a portion of every literacy pad sale provides resources to families in the Charlotte area facing homelessness through the Charlotte Family Housing organization, ensuring that all children have access to a strong start in literacy.
Alright, before we go, can you talk to us about how people can work, collaborate, or support you?
I love partnering with the community. I serve as the preschool literacy teacher at Myers Park Methodist, where I can put my beliefs into practice, working with children from toddler-transitional kindergarten and providing staff and parent training. I also teach literacy-focused classes at Small Hands and Big Art Waverly and will begin teaching preschool classes and providing parent training at The Grove CLT. I have had the privilege of working with Anna Stallman Communications to develop my latest preschool product. I have my product proudly printed here in Charlotte at Nova Office Strategies.
Pricing:
- 100 Days of Preschool Activities to Move Little Minds Tear-Off Pad – $19.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.movinglittleminds.com
- Instagram: @movinglittleminds
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/movinglittleminds/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-mccall-209124241
Image Credits
Karla Hsu, Charlotte Mama
