Young Investigators : The Project Approach in the Early Years

This compelling book illustrates how all children, even those considered "at-risk," may benefit from the exploratory and child-initiated nature of project investigations in order to achieve mastery of basic literacy skills. It also presents student-initiated learning as a starting point for dynamic and responsive teaching. The story of how projects emerge, develop, and culminate is told through a combination of teacher interviews and vivid accounts of classroom practice. Building upon inclusionary and child-centered practices, the authors offer a much-needed perspective on the pre-primary years.

Key Features:

• An emphasis on how teachers solve the practical problems of doing projects with young children, including selecting topics, organizing the classroom, setting up field visits, encouraging children to represent what they are learning, and involving parents
• Chapters are written from practice and include a plan of action that enables teachers to take their first step toward following childrens' interest
• Photos of children engaged in projects, including some in full color; examples of children's art and writing; and classroom materials
• A step-by-step guide for teachers to use in planning and documenting projects

Judy Harris Helm heads her own educational consulting and training company, Best Practices, Inc., in Brimfield, Illinois. Her books include Becoming Young Thinkers: Deep Project Work in the Classroom; The Power of Projects: Meeting Contemporary Challenges in Early Childhood Classrooms―Strategies and Solutions; and Windows on Learning: Documenting Young Children's Work, Second Edition. Lilian G. Katz is Professor Emerita of Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), where she is also Director of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary & Early Childhood Education.