Homeschool Styles: Project-Based Learning

Project-based homeschooling is a popular and interactive approach to at-home learning. With added bonuses of flexibility and instilling a love of learning in your children, project-based homeschooling is the perfect choice for many families — and many use Miacademy to help them do it!

Curious to learn more about this homeschool style? Read on to discover how project-based homeschooling can engage your child and make your homeschooling journey unique.

What is Project-Based Homeschooling?

Project-based homeschooling’s origins were inspired by Reggio Emilia, whose approach toward learning asserted that children are the most important protagonists and leaders of their own learning. With project-based homeschooling, children take complete ownership of their learning, with the guidance of their parents as mentors. 

Rather than using a set or defined curriculum, this homeschool method is entirely directed by the child. The hallmark of this approach is that the child learns through the process of answering a question or solving a problem that the child comes up with themselves.

Benefits of Project-Based Learning in Homeschooling

A large benefit of project-based homeschooling is that it removes the constraints that come with curricula and standardized learning, allowing students the freedom to pursue their own questions and interests. Plus, project-based homeschoolers have been shown to academically outperform students who learn with traditional curricula.

Other benefits of project-based learning include:

• Finding the real-world connection to what they are learning
• Keeping them motivated because they are guiding their learning
• Being able to learn and do what they’re interested in, instead of “waiting for 4th grade” or “waiting until that comes up in the curriculum”
• Learning how to develop research skills from a young age
• Never thinking “Why do I have to learn this?”

How to Start Project-Based Learning in Homeschooling

1. Let your child take the lead.

In project-based homeschooling, the parent’s role is that of a supportive mentor, not teacher.  You’ll also need to resist the temptation to step in or give answers. Instead, make sure your child has access to the library or other research opportunities, as well as a wide variety of supplies and tools to support hands-on learning.

2. Define the “driving question”.

With your child taking the lead, they will come up with an open-ended question or a problem. This is also referred to as the “driving question”.

 Many driving questions also include the pronouns “I” or “we” to make them directly relevant to the child’s life. Once a driving question has been selected, you can determine what resources your child will need to solve their problem. 

3. Support them as they answer their driving question.

The beauty of project-based homeschooling is that to answer their question or solve their problem, students will need to find a wide range of information from a wide variety of disciplines. The interdisciplinary nature of project-based homeschooling is engrossing, and the child’s final project should incorporate multiple elements.

Perhaps your child wants to know “How can I make a profit from a zip-line adventure park?” To answer this driving question, your child will need to ask many other questions and investigate many topics, learning valuable knowledge along the way. They might need to investigate in these areas:

Math Curriculum

• How fast does a person go on a zip-line? 
• How long should a zip-line be?
• How much will I charge people per ride?
• How many people can I accommodate in one day?
• How much land do I need in order to create enough space for my zip-lines?

Science Curriculum

• What materials are needed to create a zip-line?
• How can I determine whether or not materials are strong enough?
• What role does gravity play in a zip-line?

Language Arts Curriculum

• How can I persuade customers to come to the park?
• What kind of wording should I use in my advertisements?
• Will customers need to sign a waiver? How should I word that waiver? How will I ensure that customers have understood it?

Social Studies Curriculum

• Will I need to remove trees or plants to create my park? 
• Are there endangered species in the area in which my park will be created?
• How can I protect the environment while creating my park?

A student’s final project for this driving question may include…

• Plans for the park layout
• Graphs showing projected profits
• Brochures for advertising

Have multiple children at different age levels? Project-based homeschooling can be a family affair! While an older child might calculate the rate of acceleration on a zip-line due to gravity, a younger child might focus on creating a model of a zip-line, using string and cardboard.

Alternatively, while an older child might write a persuasive advertisement for the park, a younger child might prepare the accompanying illustrations. The possibilities are endless!

Project-Based Learning with Miacademy

How can Miacademy help make your project-based homeschooling dreams come true? Just follow these steps:

1. Your child needs to come up with a driving question or problem.

• Our wide variety of engaging videos is sure to inspire questions. Use our parent portal to assign all of our available lessons, at all levels, to your child. Based on their interests, children can choose any lesson in any subject: Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Music & Arts, Foreign Languages, or Life Skills! Something is sure to create a spark that will ignite that driving question!

2. Your child will research their project.

• With access to all lessons, at all levels, in our parent portal, you may want to identify which lessons and resources could be most helpful to your child. 
• Our lessons include PDFs with related recommended reading, extension activities, and interdisciplinary experiences. One of these may also become part of your plan for the project! The flexibility you have to pick and choose lessons means that our video bank can act as a research source for kids. They will be able to access any lesson, in any subject, at any time! 

3. Your child will present their project.

• Our safe, moderated online community provides your child with the built-in ability to present their findings and projects to a community of their peers! They can write an article for our site newspaper or even post a video that explains their project and findings.
• The ability to present their work to a community of their peers means that they will also receive feedback and praise, which will motivate them to continue with their next project!

Throughout your child’s project, the Parent Portal’s Reports tab keeps an automatic record of courses, lessons, and assessment scores by subject, making it simple to show your child is meeting state homeschool requirements. 

We can’t wait to see what your child achieves through your project-based learning journey!

If you have any questions about how Miacademy or MiaPrep can support you through project-based learning, feel free to start a chat with our friendly customer service team! They’ll be happy to help you find the answers you need.