How can I create project based lesson plans for very early learners in preschool who are also learning English? That seems impossible! Created by Vanessa Jencks

1. Project-­‐Based
Learning
for
Preschool
EFL
By
Vanessa
Jencks
Preschool
focused,
EFL/ESL
and
PBL…..
that
seems
impossible!

2. 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!

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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!

7. 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!

8. 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!

9. 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.

10. 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,
from
hep://
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