Helping Your Child Adapt to Project Based Education

The education world is changing and one of the most promising new teaching methods is project based education. Schools across the country are rapidly adapting to this intriguing concept, meaning your school may switch or that you may become interested in the process and its many benefits for your children.

However, you simply can't expect your children to change from the old "textbook and lesson plan" education model without some confusion. Immersing them in project based education before they begin can give them time to adapt and excel.

Explain the Process to Them

Sit down with your children at the beginning of the summer and explain the process of project based learning. It will vary pretty highly from what they're used to in most public schools, beyond a few simple class projects or science projects they may have done in the past.

Discuss how project based learning involves:

• Being assigned a complex project
• Investigating various aspects of that project
• Finishing the project in the appropriate medium
• Responding to any problems, questions, or challenges that occur during the project
• Presenting their findings when they are finished

In some ways, project based learning is similar to the scientific method. However, it also shares similarities with the modern office workplace and the way that problems are discussed and solved in a group setting. Try to explain how this new learning approach will help them better adapt to a successful career.

Immerse Them in a Beginner Project

Once your child has a basic feel for project based education, a simple summer project might be a good idea. Try to avoid making it too much like “summer homework.” Instead, find something you know they'd be interested in doing and expand on that.

For example, you could have them do a recycling project that has them working with bottles and cans to create a variety of cool projects. Find projects, such as bottle-based planters or even tin-can music makers, that will get them excited about project based education.

Don't be afraid to try out any other fun project based education lesson plans to give them a head start when school starts up again in the fall.

Don't Be Afraid to Help Them Out

If your child has already started to learn in a project based environment, they may need your help. Don't be afraid to offer them an arm to lean on as they acclimate themselves to their new demands. Simple ways you can help your children include:

• Keeping them centered and focused
• Offering hints, but not doing the work for them
• Encouraging them with positive feedback
• Monitoring their progress
• Never discouraging them from learning more on their own

Essentially, you want to serve as a sounding board and a "driver" for your child's learning experience. You simply need to steer them in the right direction and watch them succeed.

Honestly Assess Their Progress

Undoubtedly, you want your child to succeed in their new project based learning environment. However, you need to be honest with yourself (and them) about their progress. Are they struggling to work with the children in their group? Are the lessons seemingly too complex for them or hard to understand? And, most importantly, are they learning better than they did before?

Answering these questions honestly can help you and their teacher gauge how well they are progressing and what they can do to achieve more success. Just about every child can succeed in a project based environment, as long as their unique educational needs are being met.

Following these steps should acclimate your child to project based education and may help their learning speed expand exponentially. If your child still struggles with it, try to identify how they struggle, why, and what you can do to help them.