What is Project Inquiry and Why Does it Matter to Your Child
A Reggio-inspired project inquiry is a thorough study of concepts and ideas based on the information gathered about the child’s interests. These projects are often introduced to children as an exploration, and usually runs for the entire duration of a semester. The teachers serve as advisors on these projects, helping the children decide on which direction they would like to take their investigation or research, how they can represent what they learn, and what medium would be best suited for the presentation of their findings.
It’s proven that children learn best through exploration and discovery of topics that truly interest them. As an approach that is learner-centric, it serves to promote the child’s interests and views to encourage self-directed learning. Through their project inquiry journey, critical skills in communication, problem-solving, questioning, thinking and social skills are utilized. Inquiry-based learning also emphasizes the child’s role in the learning process and lets them engage with an idea or topic in an active way. It helps the child make meaning of what they are learning about and to understand how a concept applies in a real-world context.
K1 & K2 Project Inquiry Journey @ Mulberry Learning, Alexandra – “Food Around the World”
For their Semester 2 project inquiry, the K1 and K2 children from Mulberry Learning @ Alexandra embarked on a journey to explore and learn about their chosen topic of “Food Around the World”. The children had to rely on a wide range of skills such as creativity, communication, listening, problem-solving, social and fine motor capabilities in their quest to gather information.
As their topic of investigation involved learning about food from countries around the world, excursions or learning trips were aplenty to aid their research. The children even managed to sample and taste different foods from the countries they selected and learnt so much about the differences in flavor, textures, methods or preparation and more. On one of their excursions, the children had the opportunity to make gelato and had so much fun shaking the ice cubes to freeze the ice cream, learning that persistence is key in the process.
As the culmination of their project inquiry journey, the children spent time setting up different stations for their project presentation. These stations were arranged according to the food and its country of origin and manned by the children who gave out samples while explaining their findings to parents in attendance.
This project inquiry journey gave the K1 and K2 Mulberrians from Alexandra a tantalizing insight into the huge variety of cuisines that the world has. Not only did it expand their knowledge on the different cultures, it made them even more keen to explore what the other cultures have to offer.
About Mulberry Learning
At Mulberry Learning, no effort was spared in crafting a truly unique preschool programme that incorporates the Reggio Emilia methodology, Habits of Mind™ framework and Multiple Intelligences.
Voted Singapore’s “Best Holistic Learning Programme” and recently featured by the Straits Times, Business Times, CNA and The Smart Local, Mulberry Learning is the only preschool in Singapore and the world to be certified by the USA for the “Habits of Mind”, the same intelligent thinking framework used by M.O.E. to groom the brightest Primary School students in the Gifted Education Programme!
Schedule a personalized tour with us to discover how Mulberry Learning helps your child become a confident communicator, independent thinker and a passionate lifelong learner.