Project-based learning involves teaching through engaging topics that allow the integration of meaningful learning in all content areas while also supporting development across multiple domains. A project approach has been defined by Katz and Chard (1989) as an in-depth study of a topic by either an individual child, group of children or an entire class. Students and teachers together will determine the topic that they will investigate, resources they will use, and the manner in which their learning will be displayed.

The project approach is of immense benefit to children because it encourages them to actively seek knowledge. This might entail them to interact with people in the community, environment and seek out other resources. This will encourage the children’s ability to be independent, be motivated and increase their self-esteem.

The project approach has immense benefits to teachers too in terms of them pointing the children in the right direction to explore and freeing the teachers to provide more individualized instruction. The project approach also challenges teachers because each group of children will have different ideas and suggestions for the project.

Katz and Chard (1989) have identified three phases in the life of a project. The first phase is the initial phase during which the teacher assesses the knowledge level of the children in the particular area, then the children and the teacher develop the questions that they would like to investigate. During the developmental phase the teacher guides the children to gain direct experience in the topic that they are investigating. During the concluding phase the teacher brings a closure to the project and the children share the knowledge they have gained through several creative methods.

Whether project-based learning is being incorporated within an early childhood classroom or in a high school classroom, the definition of a project remains the same, “a project is an in-depth investigation of a real-world topic worthy of a student’s attention and effort.”

I recently had the pleasure of introducing early childhood through Kindergarten teachers to project based learning during a professional staff development training. Teachers were given a brief overview of project-based learning and the positive outcomes of incorporating project-based learning in the early childhood classroom. I had chosen “Studying the Human Skeleton” as the theme to introduce teachers to project-based learning. During the training teachers were introduced to a wide-array of exploratory centers that could be incorporated within the classroom to investigate the human skeleton in-depth, additionally connections were made across the disciplines to include: art, engineering, physical education, math, reading and writing.

The teachers really enjoyed the session, and it was evident by the end of the training session they had truly embraced project-based learning. The administrator of the school requested that each of the teachers submit a reflection piece after the training to summarize the training. They were also requested to incorporate a lesson from the training within their own classrooms. Teachers submitted written reflections as well as photos of the lessons. The teachers stated over and over again “how excited and engaged the students were” when they were engaged in in-depth explorations of the human skeleton. Teachers also stated “that they would re-design” existing lesson plans to be more project-based. The following photos were taken during the introductory Project-Based in the Early Years professional staff development training. For more information about scheduling professional staff development complete the Contact Form on the Contact Page.