Originally published:
Preschool teachers address many content areas. For example, language arts, math, and social studies are included in the curriculum. Teachers may wonder how to include multiple content areas in one activity or lesson. Luckily, young children are naturally curious about their home, school, and community. Young children learn by doing. Teachers can provide developmentally appropriate activities using hands-on materials. Many activities can address more than one content area.
The Illinois Early Learning Project website includes Project Examples about various topics. Preschool staff have shared these descriptions of completed projects. They include photos and videos of children engaged in inquiry-based learning. Topics are chosen based on children’s interests (such as squirrels). Project work provides opportunities for learning in many content areas. Often, several content areas are addressed in one lesson or activity.
Consider The Squirrel Project. During one activity, the class watched a video about squirrels. They learned that squirrels may jump as far as 10 feet. The children wondered if they could jump 10 feet. Noting the children’s interest in this topic, the teacher asked them to predict if they could jump 10 feet. She captured their predictions and followed up with a small group activity. Children measured how far they jumped. They recorded the individual distances on paper and compared them to their predictions. This example shows how a teacher built upon the children’s curiosity by planning a small group activity. That activity addressed benchmarks in several content areas.
The following table illustrates the impact of the lesson.
| Language Arts | Science | Math | Physical Development and Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participate in group projects or units of study designed to learn about a topic of interest. | Develop beginning skills in the use of science and engineering practices, such as observing, asking questions, solving problems, and drawing conclusions. | Use vocabulary that describes and compares length, height, weight, capacity, and size. With teacher assistance, explore the use of measuring tools that use standard units to measure objects and quantities that are meaningful to the child. | Combine large motor movements with and without the use of equipment. |
Some teachers find it helpful to post learning goals, such as the 2013 Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (IELDS) in the different learning centers around the classroom. This can remind staff to document children’s growth in these content areas. Photos, data collection forms, and work samples provide evidence.
As demonstrated in the jumping squirrels activity, one lesson or activity may address several content areas and skills. The next time you are developing a lesson, consider the content areas that are addressed. One or two might come to mind quickly. Look again, and you may find more!
IEL Resources
2013 Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards
Project Examples:
Bernie Laumann
Dr. Bernadette M. Laumann was the coordinator of the Illinois Early Learning Project from 2013 to 2019. She has been a child care teacher, an early childhood special education teacher, director of an inclusive early childhood program, researcher, and university teacher educator. Her interests include mentoring and induction activities for beginning teachers and the use of technology with young children.
Biography current as of 2025