Transitioning a preschooler into Kindergarten requires a great deal of learning in a small period of time; especially if the child began preschool for the first time at age 4. There are different ways to teach basic learning concepts to a young child. The most traditional approaches focus on thematic teaching, integrated concepts, and teacher-directed inquiry. Whereas, a project-based curriculum is often considered to be a more difficult technique since it requires a shift of paradigm for preschool teachers. A project-based curriculum promotes in-depth investigation on topics that are mostly child-initiated and strives to find the answers to student posed questions.

As a preschool-level child focuses on his interests and seeks additional knowledge, educators concentrate on teaching the skills that students must acquire in the areas of social/emotional, language/communications, and cognitive and motor skills. It does not matter what knowledge is researched as all such skills are taught in the same way. Teachers can, for example, show a child how to build sentences, whether demonstrated through how to grow plants or which planets exist in our universe. The key is to sustain interest in the topics of research so that these skills can be taught.

The topics of research should be more concrete than abstract and should involve an abundance of first-hand experiences with real objects that the child can directly interact with. The matters must be easily relatable to the young child’s prior experiences. For example, it is easier to explore sand castles in Florida than to investigate how snow is formed. The topics should have related field-sites nearby that can be visited during the investigation. A child is less likely to become deeply involved in the work when his role is passive and receptive rather than active, or when he has to rely on secondary sources, such as, books, videos, etc.  First-hand knowledge is among the key criteria for a successful project.

Well-developed projects engage a child’s mind and emotions and become adventures that he and the teacher embark on together. It is believed that such projects provide experiences that involve a student intellectually to a greater extent than the experiences that come from teacher-prepared units or themes. Studies have shown that a project-based curriculum offers the greatest mastery of basic reading, language, and mathematical skills; thus, increasing the academic achievement and social and emotional development of the child in this environment.