June 12–14 in Peoria, Illinois. Presenters: Dr. Judy Harris Helm and Pam Scranton.

July 30–August 2 at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. Presenters: Dr. Lilian G. Katz, Dr. Sallee Beneke, and Debra Brownson.

Containing a wealth of information on project learning, this site was put together by one of the leading voices on the subject, Dr. Sylvia Chard. You’ll find information on how to undertake project work, examples of projects, and a free study guide to help educators through the process of developing and implementing projects in the classroom.

Containing a wealth of information on project learning, this site was put together by one of the leading voices on the subject, Dr. Sylvia Chard. You’ll find information on how to undertake project work, examples of projects, and a free study guide to help educators through the process of developing and implementing projects in the classroom.

This site provides support, resources, and information for teachers and trainers interested in the implementation of the Project Approach in Illinois preschool classrooms. This site is a wonderful source for anyone seriously interested in the Project Approach. You can read blogs by two respected experts, Sallee Beneke and Lilian Katz. Plus there’s an engaging gallery of projects with lots of photos. You can even submit projects of your own.

REC is a project of the Ohio Resource Center, providing online resources to help Ohio’s early childhood teachers with planning, professional learning and implementing of early learning standards. Their extensive offering includes many excellent Project Approach resources. It’s well-worth taking a look at; just search on “Project Approach.”

Project Based Learning is one of the key strategies Edutopia has identified to help students learn meaningful knowledge of subjects and acquire the basic skills needed in today’s world, such as critical thinking, creative problem solving, and collaboration. The site offers an array of resources, research, and expertise on Project Based Learning to help transform the learning process in K-12 classrooms.

The Buck Institute for Education (BIE) is a not-for-profit with a specific focus on Project Based Learning. BIE provides project-based curriculum units, and conducts professional development workshops to help teachers use Project Based Learning effectively. Teachers of kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school students will appreciate the resources and teacher’s aids on this website, including a library of project videos.

The Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative is home to a number of efforts focusing on educating and raising young children. You’ll find some exceptional, in-depth resources on The Project Approach written by the leading experts on the subject. The Project Approach Catalogs 1, 2, and 3, in particular, contain a wealth of Project Approach information. Check their archives for a complete listing.

This is perhaps the best go-to book on using the Project Approach in preschool or primary classrooms. It explains how project work supports all aspects of children’s development and fulfills our learning goals for children. The phases of project-based learning are clarified, with many examples. If you are serious about the Project Approach, you can’t do without this book.

Teachers wishing to understand and implement the Project Approach in early childhood settings will find this a helpful resource. You’ll read about all aspects of project-based learning, including how to select topics, organizing fieldwork and investigations, incorporating project work into the curriculum and standards, and more. The Project Planning Journal (PDF download) guides teachers through the planning and documentation of successful projects.

This book explores how early the Project Approach can help children who face challenges such as poverty, special needs or learning a second language towards literacy and resiliency. It shares strategies and offers a structure to help teachers engage in effective project work and meet standards effectively. You’ll also see examples of effective projects.

If you are wondering how the Project Approach can engage the interest and creativity of the very youngest children, you’ll find this a helpful book. Toddlers and twos are eager to explore with all their senses and this books is full of excellent ideas for involving them in open-ended exploration of materials. The author’s understanding of young children shines through.

This book’s focus on assessing and documenting children’s learning dovetails beautifully with the Project Approach. How can the learning that develops during project work be shared with parents, administrators, and the wider community? You’ll read how to collect, analyze, and display children’s work in ways that communicate the skills being learned.

This book extends the discussion begun in Windows on Learning, helping preschool and elementary teachers gain understanding and confidence as they present the work of children as evidence of their learning. This mother-daughter author team brings together a deep knowledge of project work and the learning of children with communication and public relations skills.

The authors maintain that the Project Approach is an effective strategy for teaching all young children, including those with autism, emotional fragility or other learning challenges. Learning flows from teaching that begins with the interests, knowledge, and curiosity of children. The authors draw on their experience, and offer tools to help you create learning environments that enrich learning for all children.

This heartfelt book discusses teaching as a creative art, in which the curriculum emerges from the children, and is guided by the teacher. The author maintains that the early childhood environment should promote self-directed play as the foundation of learning, and explains how to provide a setting that supports project work through careful observation, reflection and documentation.

With each chapter focusing on a particular practice of quality early education, this book puts the Project Approach in context. In his foreword, Howard Gardner says, “I predict that you’ll place this book alongside those educational readings that you value most; and that…you will draw on it regularly for implementation, insight and inspiration.”

Teachers wanting to involve infants and toddlers with materials that inspire curiosity and promote brain development will benefit from this book. It’s full of very simple ways to explore materials such as cardboard tubes, bubbles, clay, and mirrors to support the growth and development of young children. The author explains how each activity or material supports some aspect of brain development.

This authoritative book describes the type of early learning environments where effective project work occurs. Essentially, it is the story of the Reggio Emilia approach, the world-renowned Italian public preschool program. In this approach, children are encouraged to explore their environment and articulate themselves through the many “languages” including music, sculpture, movement, and verbal communication. Hear the authentic voices of leading Italian educators, including Loris Malaguzzi, the movement’s founder. A connection to the constructivist thinking of John Dewey, Friedrich Froebel, and Maria Montessori shines through.

The author of this book makes the case for real-life learning experiences outside the classroom. He takes us far and wide to illustrate his point: that the best learning happens outside the four walls of an academic institution. The deep learning that results from first-hand experience is powerful, motivational, and transforming. You’ll come away reminded that teaching is so much more than test scores and standards.

The Mission Hill School, a public school using Project Based Learning, provides a model of education as it should be: child-centered, democratic, and innovative. This school is teacher-led, with shared decision making and problem solving, a progressive pedagogy and a spirit of public responsibility. The author looks closely at the practices that have helped the school succeed, and discusses the dilemma so many schools face: helping children develop deep, creative knowledge in an era of standardized testing.

This fascinating book gives us candid insight into the ideas of children. It’s based on the observations of preschool teacher Beth Taylor, as she watched the outdoor play of children at the Mission Hill School. The authors add their thoughts, building a strong case for play, and helping us understand that imaginations thrive when children explore ideas freely and actively in an unstructured, natural setting.

Three authors provide curriculum ideas to help middle and high school aged children connect with their local, natural world. Through writing, journal-based field sketching, and examining the cultural heritage of places students can gain a deeper understanding and respect for the world around them. These ideas can be adapted to one-day trips or year-long projects.

From the book, “Place-based education is the process of using community and environment…to teach… language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and other subjects across the curriculum. Emphasizing hands-on, real-world learning experiences, this approach to education increases academic achievement, helps students develop stronger ties to their community, enhance student appreciation for the natural world, and creates a heightened commitment to serving as acting, contributing citizens.”

This free 10 part video series explores life at the Mission Hill School, a Boston-based public school that uses the Project Approach. Mission Hill is a progressive school, with a racially and culturally diverse student population, and an excellent academic track record. Each segment focuses on an aspect of public education, prompting viewers to consider what makes a successful learning environment for children.

This 88 minute documentary follows a class of 8–10 year old children through their year in a public school that’s going against the current tide in public education. Monty Neill, the executive director of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing says, “This film reminds us that powerful, engaging, child-centered, curriculum-rich, community-rooted schooling still exists.” See the trailer and purchase the DVD.

This 2-disc set focuses on using the Project Approach in preschool classrooms and is an excellent resource for teachers, directors, trainers, and early childhood students. The first disc contains Project Approach articles and project reports written by the preschool teachers who conducted them. The second disc gives a look at project work through a video of the project Rearview Mirror: Reflections on a Preschool Car Project.

While this PBS NewsHour Report, which aired April 3, 2013, focuses on project learning at the high school level, it’s still exciting to see. In it, education correspondent John Merrow reports on a Kentucky public school district that is turning away from traditional testing, in favor of “deeper” project-based learning. 8 minutes.

If you haven’t already seen it, you really should join the 7 million viewers whose hearts were touched by this story since it was released last April. See how the creativity of a 9-year old boy blossoms, given enough time and space, plus a little encouragement. I really love this one.

Darla Myers writes about life in her kindergarten classroom where a project-based learning model is used. Darla has been a kindergarten teacher for 20 years, and describes herself as being “on a journey from a traditional, thematic based teaching style to a more student-led, project/inquiry based teaching style.” Lots of photos of project work happening in the classroom make this blog a compelling source of inspiration.

Lilian Katz blogs about all aspects of the Project Approach, from choosing project topics to documenting children’s learning. Written by one of the best known voices on the subject, this information is definitely worth reading.

The Bug Study was conducted at the lab school at the University of Maryland during a six week summer camp. The mixed group of 18 3–5 year olds collected and studied bugs in their own backyard and in local wooded areas. They wrote stories, and compiled a book from photos from their field trip and writings from the children, and made sculptures of bugs.

This investigation of ducks began when children in a Head Start program visited a local park and began asking questions about the ducks. This helpful presentation walks readers through the three phases of the project, and ends with reflections by the teachers.

A kindergarten class in a public elementary school, in an area known for its strawberry farms studies all aspects of strawberries. The children visited a local strawberry farm, where they interviewed the owner, harvested and ate strawberries, and conducted field research. A model of the farm was constructed, including machinery and buildings.

This project started when children smelled the delicious smells from a neighborhood bakery while out on a walk. They visited the shop, and were treated to tastes of the delicious pastries. A five-month long investigation into bread followed. Grain was ground, bread was made, and a bakery constructed in their classroom, based on sketches made at the nearby bakery.

Child Care Exchange has many articles on the Project Approach. Some are free; others can be purchased for $3 per article.

Authors Ben Mardell and Bethany Carpenter document the progress of the Places to Play in Providence project, an effort undertaken by the preschool children of Providence, RI. The children drew pictures of and described their favorite places to play in their home town. These creations were compiled into a guidebook, Places to Play in Providence, and presented to attendees at NAEYC’s Professional Development Institute in June 2011.

This training kit is designed for an early childhood professional development training class, to introduce teachers to the Project Approach. It includes step-by-step instructions for preparing, conducting, and evaluating your training session. The kit including the article The Project Approach to the Early Years by Lilian Katz. Downloadable PDF or print versions available.

This 14 page PDF provides educators with an overview of the Project Approach, and guidelines for developing and implementing projects in their classrooms. Based on a course taught by Dr. Sylvia Chard, the Guide is arranged in 7 sections, each with assignments to allow teachers to learn the process of implementing classroom projects. It’s a free download.