1 How the Constructivist Approach to Learning Can Be Used to Attain Academic Standards

Research shows that children learn most effectively by constructing knowledge through the world around them. Unfortunately, the constructivist model of learning is not often used in the American public school system. During the course of two months, a classroom of fifteen language minority first graders participated in an open-ended constructivist based project in hopes of fostering critical thinking skills, creating independent and motivated learners, and meeting the state of Virginia’s SOL’s. Individual student conferences, photos, group discussions and reflections, surveys, and formal assessment were used to document the project. At the end of the project, we found that students were engaged in the constructivist approach to learning