project-based learning

This posting is mostly for my reference of project-based learning. I have always believed in homeschooling, but my struggles with schooling vs homeschooling go back and forth. Mainly because my husband and I do not see eye to eye.

At an early age, Montessori was an ideal fit for us and then my little one's imagination took off and we transitioned into Waldorf. Now, based on what I have observed in my child, I am looking for a project-based, nature-inspired format.

I am most interested in letting my little one discover, imagine, explore, experience and create through nature, art, music, and hands-on discovery. I believe strongly in letting her interests led the way and creating an environment that allows her imagination and creativity to flourish, while encouraging independent problem-solving, decision making and learning. I hope to facilitate her sense of wonder and curiosity through our day to day activities, family traditions, connecting with nature, and having fun.

The more I am discovering about Emilia Reggio, the more I am believing that this approach may be what is best for my little one. Lori Pickert, over at Camp Creek, has an immense resource to be discovered about project-based learning, which believes that a child's question is fed by an interest, which leads to more questions that opens up the whole wide world to them. Visually it looks like a spider's web, everything is connected and related meaningfully to everything else. When they are "following a path of knowledge that makes sense to them - they have a much deeper, more complex understanding at the end," states Pickert.