Ms. Rachel discusses her journey into early childhood education and how her interactive videos make learning fun and effective for kids.
Many parents and caregivers find inspiration in your work. What sparked your interest in early childhood education and development? Was there a specific experience or inspiration that led you to create your content?
When you are a parent and your little one is struggling with communication, you want to do anything and everything possible to help them find their voice. My son having a severe speech delay inspired my dive into early childhood development, although I have always had a passion for working with little ones! I love being around their contagious wonder and joy.
Your content is known for being engaging and interactive. Can you elaborate on the specific skills young learners develop as they interact with your videos?
I’ll take something as simple as introducing and singing “Wheels on The Bus.” I ask the children to do the first motion of the song with me. Imitation is an important toddler skill. Then I ask them to say, “Beep! Beep!” If they do, a cartoon bus will come out! I am trying to show them that when we use our voice, things happen! Their voice is powerful. Also, fun vehicle sounds like “beep-beep” and “vroom-vroom” are fun ways to explore speech. Then, we sing the full song with all of the gestures.
Singing the lyrics is great for language development as well. It’s also a fun song that encourages imaginative play. While the song is playing, we have text on the bottom of the screen for parents suggesting they sing songs with gestures with their child. We do this so parents can learn about their child’s development while the child is learning and being entertained.
As a music teacher of young children, I was always thinking about what they were doing during a lesson. If they were moving and involved, they were much more engaged. I also taught preschool music over Zoom and saw when I’d lose the kids’ attention through the screen. This helped in the creation of a very interactive show.
The literacy gap in America is a growing concern. How can your work help foster early literacy skills in young children?
I am always encouraging parents to read daily with their little ones, which is so important.
We recently did a “Learn To Read with Ms Rachel” video. We created a fun “Phonics Song” that introduces all of the letters and letter sounds. Knowing that multi-sensory learning helps children retain knowledge, I created a gesture for each letter sound that hints at how the mouth moves to create that sound. The videos of young children doing all the sounds and gestures with us have been incredible! We also incorporate many of the preschool learning standards for literacy in this episode and others.
Many families struggle to access quality early childhood education due to cost or availability. How can Ms. Rachel videos address these challenges and ensure all children have the opportunity to thrive in their crucial early years?
I am an advocate for paid parental leave and access to high-quality, affordable early childhood education. As a former daycare worker, I also advocate for better pay for teachers during this crucial period of development. I think our content is a great supplement, but it cannot replace interacting with peers and caring teachers in safe, loving environments.
Your dedication to early childhood development is truly inspiring! Given your current success and passion for this field, what plans do you have for the future?
It’s definitely a calling, and I feel so lucky I get to do this job! I want to be part of the movement to transform the way we care for young children and their families worldwide. Every child deserves to have their rights respected and to receive the best possible start in life. It is essential to provide families with more support during the critical early years, laying the foundation for a brighter future.
Play is how little ones learn, especially at the earliest ages, and I’m excited to extend the themes and learning of our show to my first picture book and toy collection. Both the book and toys have been thoughtfully created to help foster learning through play and are inspired by favorite songs, themes, and research-backed learning techniques from my videos. My toys and book, “Ms. Rachel and the Special Surprise!” will be available at the end of September.
