A strong educational foundation provides the skills, knowledge, and curiosity for children to prepare for the future. This strong footing opens up a world of possibilities for these children to “shoot for the stars,” and realizing his or her potential. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, “Children’s experiences during early childhood not only influence their later functioning in school but also can have effects throughout life” (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997, p.6). Because early childhood education is so crucial to the intellectual, physical and emotional development of a child, it is imperative that we foster the development of the whole child during these earliest of learning experiences.
We believe that a great education promotes:
By using the project approach, we are able to provide opportunities for children to use what they are learning. As Katz and Chard point out,
“Including project work in the curriculum helps to ensure that the construction and acquisition of knowledge and the mastery of skills occurs in a way that strengthens dispositions to use them. In addition, children’s self-confidence, satisfaction, pleasure and enthusiasm increases if knowledge and skills are acquired in meaningful contexts with ample opportunity to apply them, the dispositions to deepen the knowledge and use the skills will be strengthened; conversely, without such meaningful application, these dispositions will be weakened. In principle, then, the incorporation of project work in the curriculum helps to ensure that all four categories of learning goals are addressed equally and simultaneously” (1993, p.213).
The project approach, therefore, affords us a learning experience that encompasses our philosophy of teaching and learning. It will foster intellectual growth and develop problem solving and critical thinking skills through a hands-on approach. It will create a sense of community as children must work collaboratively and respect each other’s ideas and opinions. And, if executed correctly, this approach will afford a continuous learning experience as children take the skills and knowledge learned here and apply them to their next challenge.