OURPROUDHERITAGE approach as well as other project-based approaches can support active learning and engagement as well as critical thinking skills that nurture children’ s development across the curriculum. In this era of accountability, rich projects connected to curricular goals offer numerous benefits( Beneke & Ostrosky 2009; Mitchell et al. 2009; Yuen 2009; Helm et al. 2023). These include
› In-depth learning of a subject matter
› Opportunities to enhance the curriculum through deeper explorations of topics and ideas
› The development of children’ s abilities to work both independently and in collaboration with others
› The development of processes and products that are relevant to assessment
› Building children’ s habits of mind related to curiosity, reflection, and deep engagement
› Encouraging respect for the work, learning, and contributions of others
As Beneke and Ostrosky( 2009) note,“ Project work allows children to demonstrate their strengths by applying their knowledge, skills and dispositions in ways that are helpful to others.”
Project-based learning also depends on skilled, knowledgeable, and supported educators( NASEM 2024). Educators and scholars have pondered how to effectively implement projects as far back as Kilpatrick’ s time( Knoll 2012). More recent work has clarified how educators can design and carry out projects in different types of programs and curricula. This is done by focusing on children’ s curiosities and inquiries along with teachers’ intentional scaffolding and integration of content areas. In one foundational publication, Katz wrote that the project approach should be viewed as supporting the broader curriculum and that“ both systematic instruction and project work have an important place in the curriculum”( Katz 1994, 2). Educators play a key role in determining alignment with their curricular goals and supporting children’ s learning, individually and collectively, as do professional supports for these educators( Helm
& Katz 2016; Alfonso 2017; Snider et al. 2017; NASEM 2024; Wise et al. 2024).
Project Work in Action
A group of children in a public school kindergarten gather around Ms. Gomez as she reads a poem about country and city life that concludes an instructional unit included in the district’ s core literacy program. While the goal of this part of the lesson is to expose students to poetry as a form of writing, the children immediately connect with the topic and spontaneously share their related experiences.
Luis notes,“ My grandpa lives on a farm. We go there all the time. I sat on the tractor.”
Aven says,“ My aunt lives in New York City. We went there, and the buildings are huge! So many cars!”
Katy asks,“ What are we? Are we city or country?”
The children discuss this and conclude that they live in a town, which is not quite like a city or the country. They wonder aloud,“ How do cities grow? Will a town become a city?”
Ms. Gomez suggests,“ Maybe we should build our own city and think about it more.”
She helps the children develop a KWL chart about cities( What do we know? What do we want to know? What did we learn?). To help build vocabulary and conceptual knowledge, she conducts interactive read alouds using classic building stories like The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton, and Roxaboxen, by Alice McLerran and illustrated by Barbara Cooney. She introduces other picture storybooks set in city
92 Young Children
Fall 2026