#Autism and Project Based Learning

I wanted to share what I think is a really interesting teaching approach that Elliott’s teachers are taking with homework.

The sad reality is that many parents at our school aren’t super involved with their kids education.

Elliott’s teacher, in an effort to get the parents involved, has changed the approach to homework in a way that I find fascinating. Instead of the typical nightly homework assignments, she has introduced Project Based Learning.

Essentially what happens is the child does a simple research project that requires the assistance of their parents.

This is such a cool idea because it’s never too early to introduce research skills and it’s always good to have the kids working with their parents.

One of these projects are assigned each month and they have the entire month to complete the assignment and report back to the class.

This month, the assignment is for the kids to read a book that has a character they can personally connect with. The kids will have to fill out some paperwork and answer questions about the character. They will also dress up as the character and give a brief oral presentation to the class.

This project is worth 100 points and is their entire homework grade for the month.

While some may view this as a pain in the ass, I see this as an amazing opportunity to teach Elliott some real life skills and connect with his education in a unique way. Yes, it takes some effort on my part but I’m really excited to work on these projects with him.

I love it when teachers find creative ways to educate kids and involve the parents. 🙂

Below you will find a copy of this month’s project.