Learn how to tap into and illuminate the creative potential in all learners with this inspiring and practical book. This book teaches educators to unlock the creativity in all learners while celebrating inquiry at its highest levels. Each chapter explores how to create learning spaces that invite deep inquiry, initiate thoughtful conversations, invite wonder and curiosity in learning each day, and maintain high levels of engagement. The approachable framework is built around the three-phase project model and is broken down into a user-friendly planning tool, explaining how to approach project-based teaching and learning in any early childhood classroom. Coupled with noteworthy true stories, sample units, and example pictures, early childhood educators will come away with tools and plans to enhance teaching and learning practices in their classroom through a project-based approach.

To be truly educated today, students need more than knowledge; they need higher-order thinking skills. Critical and creative thinking is required to recognize and counter disinformation, to overcome thinking errors, and to be successful in school and life. To effectively teach these skills, we must start early, when young minds are still forming. While K–3 students are capable of higher-order thinking, most lessons engage only their lower-order thinking. In this comprehensive book based on sound science, Dr. Saifer offers many practical and engaging ways to develop students’ logical, critical, and creative thinking skills within nearly every lesson, in all subject areas, and throughout the day. Teaching Higher-Order Thinking to Young Learners, K–3: How to Develop Sharp Minds for the Disinformation Age is key reading for any early childhood teacher, leader, or parent.

Did you know you have the power and the materials at your fingertips to facilitate the actual brain growth of students? This book is a practical resource to engage K-6 students with STEAM content through their five senses: seeing, listening, touch/movement, smell and taste. It combines historical research, practical suggestions, and current practices on the stages of cognitive development and the brain’s physical response to emotion and novelty; to help you learn ways to transform ordinary lesson plans into novel and exciting opportunities for students to learn through instruction, exploration, inquiry, and discovery. In addition to providing examples of sensory-rich unit plans, the authors take you through the step-by-step process on how to plan a thematic unit and break it down into daily seamless lesson plans that integrate science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. With 25 themed STEAM unit plans and activities based on national standards, up-to-date research on brain science, and real classroom experience, this book shows multiple ways to develop and deliver active multisensory activities and wow your students with sights and sounds as soon as they come through the door of your classroom.

Go beyond problem-solving and performance tasks. Bring project-based learning to life! Do you want your students to be more engaged in their mathematics lessons while also amplifying cultural relevancy and equity? If so, proceed to the next level of instruction with project-based learning (PBL)! This book provides the whole PBL game plan designed by an experienced, award-winning teacher and researcher. Whether you want to start with small steps or you are ready for full implementation in your classroom, project-based learning experiences can lead to forever memories and deeper learning for your students. Answering the why, what, and how of embarking on the journey toward PBL, readers will find Need-to-Know questions to open each chapter Student and educator vignettes to identify stumbling blocks and successes PBL Plus Tips that identify those small steps teachers can make to gradually shift toward PBL Your Turn prompts to actively connect ideas to your practice This approachable guide includes everything you need to move from tasks to memorable project-based experiences that leverage student voice and choice and build a welcoming classroom culture!

Developing Natural Curiosity through Project-Based Learning is a practical guide that provides step-by-step instructions for PreK–3 teachers interested in embedding project-based learning (PBL) into their daily classroom routine. The book spells out the five steps teachers can use to create authentic PBL challenges for their learners and illustrates exactly what that looks like in an early childhood classroom. Authentic project-based learning experiences engage children in the mastery of twenty-first-century skills and state standards to empower them as learners, making an understanding of PBL vital for PreK–3 teachers everywhere.

In this third volume of It's All About Thinking, the authors focus on teaching and learning in the middle years, transforming principles into practices, and exploring such questions as: How can we help students develop the competencies they need to become successful learners? How can we create pathways to deep learning of important concepts? How can we engage and support diverse learners in inclusive classrooms? Nicole, Linda, and Leyton explore these questions and offer classroom examples to help busy teachers develop communities where all students learn, focusing on the big ideas in middle years education today.

This new edition incorporates many insights and strategies the authors have learned while working extensively with teachers to implement the project approach. Since the popular first edition was published in 1989, the authors have continued to help teachers around the world understand the benefits of this approach. Katz and Chard discuss in great detail the philosophical, theoretical, and research bases of project work. The typical phases are presented and detailed suggestions for implementing each one are described. Using specific examples, this book clarifies and articulates the process and benefits of the project approach. These specific examples outline how children's intellectual development is enhanced. Years of working with teachers and young children from preschool to primary age provide the authors with first hand experience for employing the project approach. Helpful guidelines will aid teachers in working with this approach comfortably in order to gain the interset of children and in order for those to grow and florish mentally.