Children in Years 3 to 5 complete a Personal Project in the Spring term. The aim of the project is to give children a chance to study something they are really interested in. They get to choose what to learn about and how to present it, helping to build up those important independent study skills.
What should the project be about?
When the children choose the subject-matter for their project it should be about something that they are particularly interested in. In addition, it should ideally be about something that children can easily find out about – it is really helpful if they already have books or other resources on the subject. Class teachers support the children in choosing an appropriate subject.
Do we need access to a computer/the internet?
No. Children can do a great project without it. The work does not need to be word-processed, and sometimes, websites can be overwhelming with the amount of information they contain. For certain subjects, many websites are not very ‘child-friendly’ – the children can’t understand what they are reading, and they would be better off with a child’s book on the subject. We discourage children from simply including ‘printed-off’ web pages as part of their project.
What sort of folder do we need?
This is up to the children, but you do not need to go out and buy a special folder. Big, lever-arch folders are not ideal, because they are bulky and difficult to store. A ring binder, a display folder or a scrap book are ideal.
How should it be presented?
Again, this is for the children to choose. Work can be handwritten (pen or pencil – it’s their choice) or word processed. They can use paper or card of their choice and can include photos, drawings, diagrams, tables etc.
Does all the work have to be done at home?
We expect most of the work to be completed at home, but Class teachers also give some opportunities to work on them at school.
How can I help my child with the project?
It is great for the children to see the project as theirs and hope that they can work independently on much of it. Please don’t do it for them! However, advice and encouragement from you and taking an interest in the project will help the children. You could give advice on ‘what to do next’; help them out if they are trying to take notes from a book; encourage a visit to the local library to find books; check they have something to ‘hand in’ as homework and talk to them about how the project is going. Please discourage your child from merely printing off information from websites!