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Project ApproachIllinois Educators are invited to submit simple documentation of project work from their classrooms. IEL staff will help edit and publish your project! By sharing documentation of their experiences implementing the Project Approach, Illinois teachers can help each other learn new strategies and ideas for implementation.

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Getting Ready for Preschool

Resource Lists
Preparing for Kindergarten

Resource Lists
The Project Approach: Display and Documentation Techniques

Project Approach Resources, Resource Lists
Imagination and Fantasy in Early Childhood

Resource Lists
Children’s Play – More than Fun and Games

Resource Lists
Communicating With Parents During Sensitive or Difficult Situations

Resource Lists
Preschoolers’ Fitness and Growth

Resource Lists
Appreciating the Natural World with Young Children

Resource Lists
Music for Preschool Children

Resource Lists
Phonological Awareness in Young Children

Resource Lists
Encouraging Literacy Development in Preschoolers

Resource Lists
Encouraging Literacy Development in Infants and Toddlers

Resource Lists
Bonding, Books, and Children

Resource Lists
Best Practices for Infant and Toddler Care

Resource Lists
Immunizations: What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know

Resource Lists
Sibling Relationships

Resource Lists
Saying ‘No’ to Your Child

Resource Lists
Family Mealtimes: Benefits for Child Well-Being

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

Resource Lists
Welcoming Latino Children and Families to Preschool Programs

Resource Lists
Helping Young Children Resolve Conflicts

Resource Lists
Education and Parent Support for Families Experiencing Homelessness and Housing Insecurity

Resource Lists
Supporting Resilience in Children Exposed to Domestic Violence

Resource Lists
Challenging Behaviors

Resource Lists
Supporting Children with Autism in Child Care and at Home

Resource Lists
Gathering Work Samples in Pre-K

Resource Lists
Project Work as a Context for Social Development

Perspectives on the Project Approach, Blogs
Feelings Are Fantastic (blog)

Learning and Growing Together, Blogs
Mathematize!

Learning and Growing Together, Blogs
Birthdays, Holidays, and Family Gatherings

Blogs, Children with Disabilities and Developmental Delays
Sharing Informational Books With Young Children

Questions and Answers (Q&A)
Screen Time and Young Children

Questions and Answers (Q&A)
Welcome!
Scribbling as Early Steps to Reading and Writing

Children with Disabilities and Developmental Delays, Blogs
Parent-Child Relationships

Questions and Answers (Q&A)
Go Outdoors and Explore: Build Upon Young Children’s Natural Curiosity

Learning and Growing Together, Blogs
Teachers Can Support Young Children’s Mental Health

Questions and Answers (Q&A)
Eyes Right! Your Child’s Vision

All Tip Sheets
Play Right—Don’t Bite!

All Tip Sheets
Use Care, Imagination When Introducing New Snacks

Children with Disabilities and Developmental Delays, Blogs
Starting a Childcare Center in Illinois

Questions and Answers (Q&A)
Age-Appropriate Play for Young Children

Questions and Answers (Q&A)
Chores and Children: A Time to Learn

Children with Disabilities and Developmental Delays, Blogs
Changing Seasons and New Concepts: Same and Different and Before and After

Children with Disabilities and Developmental Delays, Blogs
Learning and Fun on Family Trips

Children with Disabilities and Developmental Delays, Blogs
Starting Kindergarten? Help Make It a Good Experience! Adaptations for Children with Special Needs and Their Families

Children with Disabilities and Developmental Delays, Blogs
Starting Kindergarten in Illinois

Questions and Answers (Q&A)
Fun at Home with Preschoolers: Getting Ready to Read!

All Tip Sheets
Learning Math Through Games

Learning and Growing Together, Blogs
Supporting Young Children in Military Families

Questions and Answers (Q&A)
Finding Help for Young Children With Disabilities and Developmental Delays

Questions and Answers (Q&A)
When the Teacher Calls…

All Tip Sheets
Understanding and Preventing Eloping

All Tip Sheets
Secure Attachments in Young Children

All Tip Sheets
Body Curiosity: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and More

All Tip Sheets
Multitiered System of Supports (MTSS): Understanding the Basics

All Tip Sheets
Creating Social Stories for Young Children

All Tip Sheets
Curriculum Adaptations: Six Simple Strategies

All Tip Sheets
Instructional Strategies for Students with Visual Impairments

All Tip Sheets
Behavior Is Communication

All Tip Sheets
Family Friendly Meetings

All Tip Sheets
Helpful Signs to do with Babies

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Noticing Signs of Voting in our Community

All Tip Sheets
They Said “No” … Now What?

All Tip Sheets
Tattling Behavior in Preschool

All Tip Sheets
Partnering with Co-Parenting Families

All Tip Sheets
Represent and Celebrate Diversity in Your Classroom Library

All Tip Sheets
Where Are We? Maps and Young Children

All Tip Sheets
Swimming for the Ages

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Swim Lessons for Young Children

All Tip Sheets
Precoding Activities for Preschoolers

All Tip Sheets
Precoding for Preschoolers

All Tip Sheets
What Is “Reggio Emilia Inspired”?

All Tip Sheets
Dining Away from Home with Young Children

All Tip Sheets
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

All Tip Sheets
Dealing with Ableism in Early Childhood Settings

All Tip Sheets
Additions to the Family: Help Young Children Prepare

All Tip Sheets
Let’s Talk About … Young Children and Religious Diversity

All Tip Sheets
Let’s Talk About … Young Children and Family Structures

All Tip Sheets
Let’s Talk About … Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families

All Tip Sheets
Let’s Talk About … Young Dual Language Learners and Their Families

All Tip Sheets
Sensory-Friendly Events

All Tip Sheets
Trauma-Informed Care in the Classroom

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Understanding Trauma and Young Children

All Tip Sheets
Pasta, Pasta!

Project Approach, Project Examples
Meetups for Preschoolers: Have a Great Playdate!

Learning and Growing Together, Blogs
Talking to Your Child’s Teacher

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Dental Health for Babies and Young Children

All Tip Sheets
Supporting Children with Limited Verbal Skills

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Special Education Assessment for Preschool-Aged Children: Reviewing Results and Next Steps

All Tip Sheets
Special Education Assessment for Preschool-Aged Children: Participating in the Assessment

All Tip Sheets
What Is an IEP?

All Tip Sheets
Special Education Assessment for Preschool-Aged Children: Referral and Getting Started

All Tip Sheets
What Is Assessment?

All Tip Sheets
Helping Children with Big Feelings

Blogs, Learning and Growing Together
Play Along: Following Your Child’s Interests at Home

Learning and Growing Together, Blogs
Voting Project

Project Approach, Project Examples
Implementing the Project Approach in Inclusive Classrooms

Podcast
Positive Guidance for Young Children: Be Thoughtful

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Positive Guidance for Young Children: Take a Break and Calm Down

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Positive Guidance for Young Children: Plan Ahead

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Positive Guidance for Young Children: Be Consistent

Graphic Tip Sheets, All Tip Sheets
Keeping Track of Important Information

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Rights of Families Experiencing Homelessness

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Math Is Everywhere

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Music and Movement

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Keep Young Children Safe in the Car

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Diverse Families and the Transition to Kindergarten

Podcast
Get Ready to Read

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Get Them to School Every Day

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Going to Kindergarten?

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Helping Children Develop “Impulse Control”

All Tip Sheets
Tech Time for Young Children

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Tech Time for Infants and Toddlers

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Dual Language Use During Choice Time

IELDS Resources, Videos, Benchmark Videos
Mila Paints the Fence

IELDS Resources, Videos, Benchmark Videos
SIDS: Back to Sleep

All Tip Sheets
Out and About with Preschoolers: Visual Arts for Everyone

All Tip Sheets
Choosing Child Care for Infants and Toddlers

All Tip Sheets
Children’s Social Competence Checklist

All Tip Sheets
Bullying Hurts Everyone

All Tip Sheets
Children’s Votes Count

All Tip Sheets
Healthy Children Eat Right

Graphic Tip Sheets, All Tip Sheets
When Children Mourn

All Tip Sheets
Work and Play Together

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Talk Together

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Talk, Listen, and Learn

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Supporting Adult-Child Relationships

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Sorting, Classifying, and Organizing

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Read and Write Together

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Making Sense of Numbers

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Learning by Listening to Language

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Keep Up the Good Work

Graphic Tip Sheets, All Tip Sheets
Investigate Together

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Feelings Are Fantastic

Graphic Tip Sheets, All Tip Sheets
Discover Shapes in Many Places

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Discover Letters and Words

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Counting Up, Down, and All Around

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Helping Children Handle Disappointment

All Tip Sheets
Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Get Physical

All Tip Sheets, Graphic Tip Sheets
Helping Siblings Get Along

All Tip Sheets
Getting Ready for Kindergarten

All Tip Sheets
Encouraging Words

All Tip Sheets
Free Time: Building a Family Schedule with Room for Play

All Tip Sheets
Strangers and Safety

All Tip Sheets
Real Work: Preschoolers Can Help

All Tip Sheets
Project Approach: Phase 1—Getting Started

All Tip Sheets
Project Approach for Preschoolers

All Tip Sheets
Please Don’t Go. Separation Anxiety and Children

All Tip Sheets
Fun at Home with Preschoolers: Play with Light and Shadow

All Tip Sheets

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About IEL

The Illinois Early Learning Project 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 Department of Early Childhood (IDEC).

View IEL staff information.

Contact IEL online or call (877) 275-3227. We will do our best to reply to inquiries within one week.

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