Play, projects, and preschool standards: nurturing children's sense of wonder and joy in learning

Addressing early learning guidelines in developmentally appropriate ways

Defining the standards

Meeting the needs of all children

Addressing standards through engaging experiences and activities

The project approach

Assessing progress toward meeting the standards

Involving families

Designing the environment with the child in mind

Creating a welcoming environment

Building relationships

The power of choice

Arranging the room for exploration and learning

Materials for engaging interest areas

Scheduling the day for play and learning

Developing positive approaches to learning and social-emotional development : developing curiosity and eagerness; initiative and persistence; problem solving; invention and imagination; self-concept; respecting others; and participating cooperatively as members of a group

Developing positive approaches to learning and

Social-emotional development through projects

Designing the environment

Addressing standards through engaging experiences and activities

Supporting children who are bilingual learners

Working with children with individual needs

Exploring the world through science

Investigating; physical science; life science; earth and space; and science and technology

Exploring the world and science through the projects

Designing the environment

Addressing standards through engaging experiences and activities

Supporting children who are bilingual learners

Working with children with individual needs

Learning about our community through social studies

Families/cultures; community/civics; history/time; geography/places/people/environment; and economics

Learning about our community and social studies

Through projects

Designing the environment

Addressing standards through engaging experiences and activities

Supporting children who are bilingual learners

Working with children with individual needs

Engaging children in meaningful literacy

Reading; writing; phonological awareness and listening; oral language development/speaking/communicating; and learning new languages

Engaging children in meaningful literacy through projects

Designing the environment

Addressing standards through engaging experiences and activities

Supporting children who are bilingual learners

Working with children with individual needs

Making mathematics inviting

Number sense and operations; shapes/geometry; measurement; making sense of data/statistics; and patterns/algebra

Making mathematics meaningful through projects

Designing the environment

Addressing standards through engaging experiences and activities

Supporting children who are bilingual learners

Working with children with individual needs

Fostering creativity through the arts

Visual arts; music; creative movement; and drama

Fostering creativity in the arts through projects

Designing the environment

Addressing standards through engaging experiences and activities

Supporting children who are bilingual learners

Working with children with individual needs

Promoting physical development and healthy lifestyles

Gross motor; fine motor; and health

Promoting physical development and healthy lifestyles through projects

Designing the environment

Addressing standards through engaging experiences and activities

Supporting children who are bilingual learners

Working with children with individual needs

Putting it all together

Addressing standards and benchmarks through projects

Studies, and themes

Supporting the transition to kindergarten

Final thoughts.