Early Learning Project
Dr. Katz
I read your question about including project work in your awkward time schedule.
I am not sure it matters how many projects you implement per year. My observations of teachers in different kinds of settings are that some projects last a short time and some take longer. Some teachers have their children work a half-an-hour per day on the project, some one hour twice a week, and many other arrangements have been tried to accommodate various program pressures and attendance variations. In Reggio Emilia, I have observed that some projects go on forever, and some seem to fall flat within a week. A lot depends on the ages of the children and the topic—how accessible it is to the children's firsthand investigation activities.
Teachers who have used the Project Approach in part-time settings acknowledge that it can be challenging. The resource list below includes some articles and books that you might find helpful as you try different ways of engaging your older 2-year-olds in projects. I would suggest that you experiment with your possibilities and constraints and find out what works best for you and your young ones!
Resources
- How Many Projects per Year?
http://illinoispip.org/blogs/katz/2008oct12.html - Implementing the Project Approach in Part-time Early Childhood Education Programs
http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v2n1/beneke.html - Merging the Project Approach with Other Curricula
http://illinoispip.org/directors-corner/merging.html - Systematic Instruction and the Project Approach
http://www.projectapproach.org/systematic_instruction.php - Flexibility and the Project Approach
http://illinoispip.org/directors-corner/flexibility.html - Beginning the Journey: The Project Approach with Toddlers
http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v11n1/kogan.html - The Canada Goose Project: A First Project with Children under 3
http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v12n1/brewer.html
Web Sites
- Illinois Projects in Practice
http://illinoispip.org - Project Approach Home Page
http://www.projectapproach.org
This Web site includes various sections on the Project Approach, including theory, structure, and examples.
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