Project-‐Based Learning for Preschool EFL
By Vanessa Jencks
Preschool focu
sed,
EFL/ESL and PB
L…..
that seems
impossible!
It’s All in the family • Preschool EFL Curriculum
Standards for Unit 2: – Family Names – Birthday CelebraKons – CounKng – Sequencing
• Problem: The unit focuses
JUST on vocabulary and grammar acquisiKon instead of deeper learning.
Family language unit for a whole month…. Boring!
Entry Event – Step one • Teacher exposes students
to diverse families from around the world and what they do together. – Books – Videos of families – Videos of guest speakers
from around the world • Teachers MUST guide
iniKal exposure in all project based learning.
• Even the youngest students should noKce a difference in living quarters and physical features.
Webbing– Step Two
• Students and teacher brainstorm about what families do together to form a web chart. – Examples
• Eat together • Go on vacaKon • Do chores
• Webbing supports student voice and choice for preschoolers.
Families
Eat together
Go on vacaKon
Do Chores
Live together
My kids will need me to prepare pictures so all language level students
understand “eat together” and other ideas we brainstorm.
Project CreaKon – Step Three • Create Projects for Top
Interest Links – (Students probably had the most
to say or the most excitement when this acKvity was listed)
Last year my students were fascinated by
big style houses in the US.
Pre-‐Project: From my family to yours
• Teacher will expose students to homes and families of specific countries through further exposure.
• This introduces comparing and contrasKng, a criKcal thinking skill needed for preschoolers’ futures!
Project: From my Family to Yours • In Small groups, students will color, cut and glue
together “homes” that represent families from around the world.
• Preschoolers need to make things with their hands!
AccommodaKons
• Since preschoolers are limited in ability: – Pre-‐made black and white clipart images for coloring.
– Keeping it simple for EFL: • Japanese home coloring pages will only have Japanese family opKons, no mixing with American or Chinese family opKons!
Project PresentaKon
• Groups show off project to the whole class. – Teacher will focus on posiKve feedback rather than criKques at this age.
• Projects displayed on the English bulleKn board. • Pictures sent on WeChat to students’ parents. – Parents can engage with students about what they learned.
References • What is Project Based Learning (PBL)?
(n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2015, from hep://bie.org/about/what_pbl
• Bietz, K. (2012, September 9). Engaging Your Early EducaKon Students With a Webbing Curriculum (J. Wylie, Ed.). Retrieved September 20, 2015, from hep://www.brighthubeducaKon.com/teaching-‐preschool/93158-‐creaKng-‐an-‐early-‐ed-‐webbing-‐curriculum/?cid=parsely_rec
• Bietz, K. (2012, September 9). UKlizing Project-‐Based Lessons for Your Preschoolers (J. Wylie, Ed.). Retrieved September 20, 2015, fromhep://www.brighthubeducaKon.com/teaching-‐preschool/93027-‐project-‐based-‐learning-‐for-‐preschoolers/
• Bietz, K. (2012, September 9). Engaging Your Early EducaKon Students With a Webbing Curriculum (J. Wylie, Ed.). Retrieved September 20, 2015, from hep://www.brighthubeducaKon.com/teaching-‐preschool/93158-‐creaKng-‐an-‐early-‐ed-‐webbing-‐curriculum/?cid=parsely_rec