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Illinois Early Learning Project

Illinois Early Learning Project

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  • Videos
    • Parenting Videos
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  • Standards & Guidelines
    • Illinois Early Learning Guidelines for Children Birth to Age 3
    • 2013 Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards
    • Illinois Learning Standards for Kindergarten
  • Project Approach
    • Project Guides
    • Project Examples
    • Lesson Planning in the Context of Projects
    • Project Approach Tip Sheets
    • Blog: Perspectives on the Project Approach
    • Project Approach Definitions
    • Project Approach Facebook Group
    • Related Project Approach Research
    • The Legacy of Lilian Katz
  • Blogs
    • Learning and Growing Together
    • Dual Language Learners
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    • Perspectives on the Project Approach
  • More Resources
    • IEL Newsletter
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    • Resources by Topic or Keyword
    • Questions and Answers (Q&A)
    • Tool Kits
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Approaches to Learning

Curiosity and Initiative

Curiosity and Initiative

Illinois Early Learning Moments
Problem Solving

Problem Solving

Illinois Early Learning Moments
Persistence, Effort, & Attentiveness

Persistence, Effort, & Attentiveness

Illinois Early Learning Moments
Creativity, Inventiveness, and Imagination

Creativity, Inventiveness, and Imagination

Illinois Early Learning Moments
Confidence and Risk-Taking

Confidence and Risk-Taking

Illinois Early Learning Moments
color drawing of the word "STEAM"

Make a Mess and Explore STEAM

Tool Kits
little girl with teddy bear and blanket

Positive Guidance for Young Children: Take a Break and Calm Down

Graphic Tip Sheets, Infant/toddler Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets
checkerboard

Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Math Is Everywhere

Graphic Tip Sheets, Infant/toddler Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets
child singing

Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Music and Movement

Graphic Tip Sheets, Infant/toddler Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets
child playing with blocks

Busy with Blocks (audio)

Podcasts
child looking at toy in adult's hands

Look What This Can Do!

Parenting Videos
child using a drum

Drumming in the Kitchen

Parenting Videos
Get Growing With Your Young Children

Get Growing With Your Young Children

Blogs, Learning and Growing Together
Peekaboo!

Peekaboo!

Parenting Videos
Rounding Up the Cows

Rounding Up the Cows

Parenting Videos
Challenge Young Artists to Create in Three Dimensions

Challenge Young Artists to Create in Three Dimensions

Blogs, Learning and Growing Together
Process Play and STEAM: Getting Started

Process Play and STEAM: Getting Started

Podcasts
Explore the Arts with Young Children

Explore the Arts with Young Children

Resource Lists
child playing with blocks

Busy with Blocks

Blogs, Learning and Growing Together
Try and Try Again

Try and Try Again

Blogs, Learning and Growing Together
Imagination and Fantasy in Early Childhood

Imagination and Fantasy in Early Childhood

Resource Lists
Children's Play - More than Fun and Games

Children’s Play – More than Fun and Games

Resource Lists
Moving from Early Intervention to PreK: What Parents and Caregivers Want to Know

Moving from Early Intervention to PreK: What Parents and Caregivers Want to Know

Resource Lists
Cooking with Spinach

Cooking with Spinach

Project Approach, Project Examples
The Tractor Project: Noisy Neighbors Lead to Investigation

The Tractor Project: Noisy Neighbors Lead to Investigation

Project Approach, Project Examples
You Made It

You Made It

Guidelines Videos
Two Trains

Two Trains

Guidelines Videos
A Tower Together

A Tower Together

Guidelines Videos
Tea Party

Tea Party

Guidelines Videos
The Step

The Step

Guidelines Videos
Roll Them Up

Roll Them Up

Guidelines Videos
Ready? Boing!

Ready? Boing!

Guidelines Videos
Press Here

Press Here

Guidelines Videos
Pea Pod Rockers

Pea Pod Rockers

Guidelines Videos
Over Here

Over Here

Guidelines Videos
Let’s Get Up

Let’s Get Up

Guidelines Videos
The Duck

The Duck

Guidelines Videos
I Don't Like That

I Don’t Like That

Guidelines Videos
Blue or Purple

Blue or Purple

Guidelines Videos
All Done

All Done

Guidelines Videos
A Big Tower

A Big Tower

Guidelines Videos
Waylon and Grandpa: A Continuous Contingent Interaction

Waylon and Grandpa: A Continuous Contingent Interaction

Parenting Videos
Toddlers and Boxes: “Hi! Hi!"

Toddlers and Boxes: “Hi! Hi!”

Parenting Videos
Roll, Evie, Roll!

Roll, Evie, Roll!

Parenting Videos
Pretend Play with Big Boxes

Pretend Play with Big Boxes

Parenting Videos
Let Baby Play

Let Baby Play

Parenting Videos
Dads Read

Dads Read

Parenting Videos
Feeding Baby Brother His Carrots

Feeding Baby Brother His Carrots

Parenting Videos
Exploring Sound on the Dam

Exploring Sound on the Dam

Benchmark Videos
Super Story Time

Super Story Time

Blogs, Learning and Growing Together
Make Art a Part of Every Day: Focus on the Process

Make Art a Part of Every Day: Focus on the Process

Blogs, Learning and Growing Together
Cherishing Children’s Treasures Can Create Many Opportunities to Learn

Cherishing Children’s Treasures Can Create Many Opportunities to Learn

Blogs, Learning and Growing Together
child in playhouse

Time to Play, Time to Dream: Unscheduling Your Child

Infant/toddler Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets
children on playground

Young Children Need to Play!

Infant/toddler Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets
Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Music, Sound, and Movement

Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Music, Sound, and Movement

Infant/toddler Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets
alphabet

The Gift of Words: Reading and Games

Infant/toddler Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets
drawing of child with magnifying glass

Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Curious Young Scientists

Graphic Tip Sheets, Infant/toddler Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets
What Puppets Can Mean to Children

What Puppets Can Mean to Children

Blogs, Learning and Growing Together
Age-Appropriate Play for Young Children

Age-Appropriate Play for Young Children

Questions and Answers (Q&A)
Visual Schedules and Checklists

Visual Schedules and Checklists

Blogs, Children with Disabilities and Developmental Delays
chlid playing with box

Science Play with an Award-winning Toy

Blogs, Learning and Growing Together
children playing with blocks

Make Room for Blocks!

Infant/toddler Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets Aligned to Benchmarks
CSI: Child Scientist Investigates!

CSI: Child Scientist Investigates!

Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets Aligned to Benchmarks
chlid playing with box

Toys from Throwaways: Boxes

Infant/toddler Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets Aligned to Benchmarks
Sing, Play, and Hear: Music’s in the Air

Sing, Play, and Hear: Music’s in the Air

Infant/toddler Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets Aligned to Benchmarks
Fun at Home with Preschoolers: Getting Ready to Read!

Fun at Home with Preschoolers: Getting Ready to Read!

Tip Sheets
child with magnifying glass

The Curious Child

Infant/toddler Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets
What Makes a Good Toy?

What Makes a Good Toy?

Infant/toddler Tip Sheets, Tip Sheets

Read more

About IEL

The Illinois Early Learning Project Web site is a source of evidence-based, reliable information on early care and education for parents, caregivers, and teachers of young children in Illinois.

Funded by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

View IEL staff information, contact IEL online, or call (877) 275-3227.

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