Are you a parent considering making a move to a school that has successfully implemented PBL? Or is your school talking about going this direction? Often times these moves raise the important question: “is PBL right for my child?”. If this is a wondering you have, read on for my two cents!

PBL is promising as a vehicle for student engagement and preparation for an advancing society and global economy. EVERY child deserves that opportunity. Period.

If your child is lacking grade-level skills, has historically been disengaged in school, or perhaps has a learning disability, that is critical information for you to discuss, as a team, with your teacher and child. PBL has a flexible framework that allows for personalization (including accommodations and modifications), but it does require a team approach (home, classroom and perhaps additional resource personnel) to ensure that needs are communicated and therefore met. This will require a more active role for you as the parent.Frequent communication is key.(Recommended: A meeting before the roll out of each project to set up some safety nets for your child and collection of resources for support.) Establishing a relationship with the teacher early on, in addition to helping your child develop his or her  ability to advocate for  needs and make use of resources is critical in PBL…and life!

If you haven’t yet, be sure you check out CraftED”s recently published Parent Guide to PBL.

Want to learn more about PBL? Check out CraftED’s e-course which includes a special module for parents.