Preschool Project-Based Learning Is Doable With These Mindsets

Many preschool teachers are interested and even enthusiastic about the possibilities of adopting project-based learning (PBL). They imagine how much the children will learn through investigating real questions that matter to them, generating meaningful opportunities for inquiry, collaborating with classmates, developing deep understanding, and building skills.

Yet many teachers may hesitate to take the first step. They often wonder how the children will react, and how they, as the teacher, can be sure that they’re addressing the curriculum expectations. Quite often, hesitation comes from the uncertainty of the role of the teacher in this approach: How do I know the children are learning? How do I document the process? How can I show families and school leaders what has been accomplished?

When teachers do not feel confident with the answers to these questions, they often go back to the way they used to teach before trying PBL.

However, implementing PBL comes with the realization that it is less about learning a completely new approach and more about becoming a more active observer and developing new perspectives on teaching and learning. From my experience, I find that three main mindset shifts help preschool teachers make the move from uncertainty to confidence when implementing PBL.

From directing every step to intentionally guiding learning

If children are guiding the direction of the project, what is the teacher expected to do? This is one of the main concerns of teachers regarding PBL, but it is a misconception about the “learner-centered approach.”

In an effective PBL classroom, teachers are still responsible for teaching and leading the learning process. Teachers are responsible for observing the children and anticipating meaningful curriculum connections and design experiences that extend thinking. They are in charge of helping children connect their interests with the curriculum and then encouraging their inquiry.

For example, if students become fascinated by birds building nests outside the classroom, the teacher will identify opportunities for the children to observe, take measurements, count, draw, apply scientific thinking, and practice communication skills. Instead of thinking about how to keep children on task, the teacher will ask: How can I use their questions to reach meaningful learning goals connected to the goals described in the curriculum?

From delivering the curriculum to revealing it through inquiry

One huge misconception is that PBL competes with curriculum expectations. Many times, teachers think that working through projects is something they can do, for example, as a closing or starting point for a unit. Or that they can devote maybe one day a week to projects and spend the rest of the week following the curriculum as they have always done. In PBL, the project is not something that you do in addition to your regular class. The project includes the curriculum.

You will develop the curriculum through the students’ interests, and well-designed projects make the curriculum visible. Children’s investigation naturally creates opportunities to develop literacy, mathematics, scientific reasoning, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. The teacher’s role is to notice these opportunities and intentionally connect them with learning goals.

When planning your lessons, identify the learning goals you want the children to reach, the kinds of experiences that may support those goals, and the evidence you might expect to observe. Then, as children’s investigations unfold, you can revisit the plan and notice the learning that is already occurring and identify where additional experiences may be needed. Change the question from “How will I cover the curriculum?” to “Where is the curriculum becoming visible in this project?”

From documenting for accountability to documenting learning

Teachers often find themselves at a loss when documenting children’s progress in relation to the curriculum. I believe that this is one of the most difficult aspects of PBL. When children develop a PBL project, when they are immersed in this approach, they learn through investigation, conversation, experimentation, play, and collaboration. Learning doesn’t always produce a finished product. While this doesn’t make learning less relevant or rigorous, it does require a different approach from the teacher to make learning visible.

For example, the documentation process might begin with careful observation and a record of a child making a prediction before an investigation. From there, the teacher might promote and observe a discussion between classmates, or they might take a photo that shows a skill that has been mastered. Teachers can combine several forms of documentation, such as the following:

• Anecdotal observations
• Photos
• Drawings
• Transcripts of conversations
• Reflection panels
• Learning narratives
• Individual or group portfolios

All of this is evidence of learning. It’s important to keep these documents accessible so teachers and children can revisit the evidence of learning over time and notice growth that might otherwise remain unnoticed. The documentation also helps strengthen communication with families, allowing teachers to explain what the children were thinking, wondering, testing, revising, and learning through the project. When families get used to the process, they gain a richer understanding of the children’s development.

In PBL, teachers remain the designers of learning environments and the observers of emerging understanding. They connect children’s ideas with curriculum goals and make learning visible. The more teachers practice observing, documenting, and reflecting on children’s thinking, the more confident they become in recognizing that meaningful learning is happening. Perhaps the most important mindset change is trusting that children’s questions are often pathways through the curriculum, not away from it.