– Nell K. Duke, EdD, a renowned literacy expert writes:
I have been studying how children learn to read and write informational texts for over 20 years. I have observed in many classrooms, talked with many teachers and students, and read and carried out many research studies. In the process, I have become convinced that a a project-based approach is the best overall framework for teaching the reading and writing of informational text. p. 11
Duke, N.K. (2014). Inside information. Developing powerful readers and writers of informational text through project-based learning. Scholastic and International Reading Association.
– Researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Michigan studied 2,371 third-grade students in 46 schools, randomly assigned to a control group or a PBL group. In the schools selected for the study 62 percent of the schools’ student bodies qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, and 58 percent were students of color. Elementary students in PBL classrooms outperformed their peers, by 8 percentage points on a test of science learning. The pattern held across socioeconomic class and across all reading ability levels: In the project-based learning group, both struggling readers and highly proficient readers outperformed their counterparts in traditional classrooms. In addition to academic gains, social-emotional learning abilities of reflection and collaboration were strengthened. Study
– Project-based learning strengthened social studies and reading achievement for second grade students from poverty backgrounds in low-performing schools, compared to students taught social studies and reading without PBL. 48 classes in high poverty schools were studied. In social studies and literacy, participation in PBL narrowed the gap between students in low and high-income communities. Compared to the control group, students in PBL classes increased their academic knowledge and skills. 63% gain in social studies and 23% gain in informational reading. VIDEO (six minutes)