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Question

When did the Project Approach initiate? When did Dr. Lilian G. Katz become involved with the Project Approach?

Dr. Katz
The Project Method, as it was originally called, was described, discussed, and used sporadically from about 1885 up until World War II in the United States. It was a central aspect of the Progressive Education movement. There are mentions of it in the Encyclopedia of Educational Research editions published in the 1940s and 1950s. Projects were also part of the curriculum of the University of Chicago Laboratory School, although the practice was not clearly referred to as the Project Approach at that time [see Tanner, Laurel N. (1997). Dewey's laboratory school. Lessons for today. New York: Teachers College Press]. In the United Kingdom, projects became a major feature of the curriculum in what were then called infant schools (children 5 to 7) during and following World War II.

I became involved with the Project Approach when I visited the infant schools in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and saw wonderful project work being done by very young children. I then began teaching teachers how to incorporate projects into their curriculum. So, I have been involved in the Project Approach since about 1970.

I am now working (with Sylvia Chard) on the third edition of the book called Engaging Children's Minds: The Project Approach. We expect the book to be out early next year.

Web Resources Related to the Project Approach http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/beneke2005/sup.htm#resources