Littles and Literacy Course

Hi, I’m Melissa McCall—literacy enrichment teacher, trainer, curriculum creator, and founder of Moving Little Minds.

With over 20 years in early education, I’ve worked in classrooms, trained teams, and supported hundreds of preschool teachers and directors across the country.

I created Littles & Literacy because I know the importance of those first few years of life. Serving as a literacy enrichment teachers in toddler classrooms across Charlotte, I have seen the amazing capabilities of our children.

Watching toddlers’ faces light up as we touch and sing the alphabet song or race to “whack” letters around the room reminds me exactly why I do this work.

That joy—and the proven impact behind it—is why I built this course: to make those magical learning moments happen every single day. Toddlers are capable of so much more than just free play or story time, and I’m dedicated to showing teachers and parents how.

This course is everything I wish I had when I was starting out, and it’s here to help you play with toddlers with confidence, clarity, and purpose.

“Toddlers aren’t really talking yet—why focus on literacy?”

Even before they’re talking, toddlers are listening, absorbing, and wiring their brains for language. Every rhyme, gesture, and playful literacy interaction strengthens the pathways they’ll need for vocabulary, conversation, and later reading.

“I already do story time—what else could they need?”

Story time is wonderful, but it’s only one piece of literacy. Littles and Literacy helps you extend those stories into playful conversations, hands-on activities, and language-rich experiences that make books come alive for toddlers.

“Toddlers are too young for this—play is all that matters.”

Play absolutely matters—that’s why this course is rooted in it! The first three years are when the brain is making more connections than any other time of life. We can capitalize on this brain development by introducing early literacy through songs, movement, and playful interaction. By doing so, we are building the foundation for later reading success—all without taking away from play.

“They’ll catch up later—why start now?”

Research shows that children who don’t develop strong language and literacy foundations in the first three years often struggle to catch up later. Littles and Literacy helps you use everyday play and routines to build those foundations now—so later learning comes naturally.