Young Investigators

Now in its Third Edition, Young Investigators provides an introduction to the project approach with step-by-step guidance for conducting meaningful investigations with young children. The authors have expanded their bestseller to include two new chapters— How Projects Can Connect Children with Nature and Project Investigations as STEM Experiences—and to provide more help to teachers of the youngest children (toddlers) and older children (2nd grade). The new edition also shows teachers how to use standards in the topic selection process and identifies activities and experiences that will help children grasp key concepts and skills. Throughout the text, readers listen to teachers’ concerns, witness how they find solutions to challenges, and experience how excited children become during project work. This book is appropriate for those new to using the Project Approach, as well as for teachers who already have experience with implementing the Project Approach.

Book Features:

• Examples of projects from child care centers and preschool, K–2, and special education classrooms.
• Instructions for incorporating standards and STEM skills into project work.
• A variety of experiences to help children connect to the natural world.
• Toddler projects that reflect knowledge from recent mind/brain research.
• Tools for integrating required curriculum goals and for assessing achievement.
• A Teacher Project Planning Journal that leads teachers through the major decision points of project work.
• Full-color photographs of children engaged with projects.
• A study guide for pre- and inservice teachers (available at tcpress.com).

Judy Harris Helm heads her own educational consulting and training company, Best Practices, Inc., in Brimfield, Illinois. Her books include Becoming Young Thinkers: Deep Project Work in the Classroom; The Power of Projects: Meeting Contemporary Challenges in Early Childhood Classrooms—Strategies and Solutions; and Windows on Learning: Documenting Young Children's Work, Second Edition. Lilian G. Katz is past president of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and professor emerita at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

"Everything you could possibly need to start a project is covered in this book, so start investigating!" —Association for Childhood Education International (of first edition)

"As an elementary school principal and former teacher educator, I highly recommend this book. It is an essential professional development tool for promoting effective teaching and learning. The content of the book centralizes authentic, student-driven project work that leads to positive outcomes for elementary and early childhood students."
—Tricia DeGraff, Principal, Academy for Integrated Arts

Praise for Previous Editions:

“Everything you could possibly need to start a project is covered in this book, so start investigating!”
—Association for Childhood Education International

“A readable and extremely valuable book…includes a planning journal with step-by-step guidance for doing a first project with young children.”
—Child Care Plus

“Along with tips on how to get started and successfully carry out this approach, readers will find methodologies for maintaining curricular standards and utilizing technology.”
—ENC Focus

“This practical book is full of good ideas for teachers developing investigative projects with the youngest children. A powerful resource, it combines sound educational theory with many ways to support and document learning.”
—Sylvia C. Chard, University of Alberta, Canada

“In this beautifully written book, the reader takes a journey, discovering the many answers to the why, what, and how questions about the project approach. In addition to providing the essential how-to guidebook for projects, Helm and Katz address today’s burning issues—standards, evaluation, special populations, and relation to the larger curriculum.”
—Sue Bredekamp, Council for Professional Recognition

Project Planning Journal

Book Study Ideas