The Reggio Emilia Approach
You hear the word Reggio tossed around by early education teachers but what does it mean to be a Reggio Inspired school? The Reggio Emilia pedagogy came to fruition over 50 years ago in Northern Italy, in a town called Reggio Emilia. After the devastating effects of World War II, a psychologist named Loris Malaguzzi created a new educational philosophy that forever changed the landscape of teaching young children. It’s important to remember that Reggio is not a model or something that can be duplicated because it is context-specific and is unique to the child’s culture and geography. To be Reggio Inspired means we adopt the aspects of this pedagogy that we deem important for the development of young children while remaining open to the other philosophies and theories that develop the whole child.
The Image of the Child
How we as educators view the child dictates how we view teaching and learning. When we view the child as capable and competent, it is reflected in the environment and through the enrichment offerings each day. The Reggio Emilia Approach is rooted in Constructivist and Social Constructivist learning theories. What this means is that children construct their own knowledge through rich experiences and interactions. No worksheets, textbooks, or lecture style learning will take place in Reggio Inspired classrooms. The curiosity of the child is often the starting point for investigations, and children learn through their own experiences and the world around them. The role of the teacher is to be a co-learner, working alongside the children, observing their interests, and embedding provocations that help extend learning. Through collaboration and social interactions, children learn to problem-solve, debate, and respect one another’s ideas.
We View the Child As…
Capable & Competent (able to explore big ideas and delve deep into learning)
Strong (children’s ideas are challenged and children are encouraged to take risks)
Rich in Potential (children have big ideas to share and are open to new perspectives that extend learning)
Artists, Scientists, Mathematicians, Engineers, Musicians, Storytellers and more… (children have 100 languages to communicate their ideas)
The 100 Languages
“No way. The hundred is there.
The child
is made of one hundred.
The child has
a hundred languages
a hundred hands
a hundred thoughts
a hundred ways of thinking
of playing, of speaking.
A hundred always a hundred
ways of listening
of marveling, of loving
a hundred joys
for singing and understanding
a hundred worlds
to discover
a hundred worlds
to invent
a hundred worlds
to dream.
The child has
a hundred languages
(and a hundred hundred hundred more)
but they steal ninety-nine.
The school and the culture
separate the head from the body.
They tell the child:
to think without hands
to do without head
to listen and not to speak
to understand without joy
to love and to marvel
only at Easter and at Christmas.
They tell the child:
to discover the world already there
and of the hundred
they steal ninety-nine.
They tell the child:
that work and play
reality and fantasy
science and imagination
sky and earth
reason and dream
are things
that do not belong together.
And thus they tell the child
that the hundred is not there.
The child says:
No way. The hundred is there.”
— Loris Malaguzzi (translated by Lella Gandini) Founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach
The Atelier - Instilling Creativity & Collaboration
Our Atelier (art studio) provides a creative space for our children to explore, experiment, and express themselves through a variety of different art mediums. Our Atelier is utilized by Nursery School children enrolled in the 7:30-5:30 program and individual classrooms during their regularly scheduled class time. Exposure to art has many benefits for young children:
· Motor Skills
· Creativity
· Collaborative Learning
· Cognitive Development
· Social/Emotional Skills
· Confidence
· Respect for Ideas
The Mud Kitchen
The Mud Kitchen is an excellent way to promote messy play and help children connect with nature. There are also many developmental benefits involved in mud play:
· Creativity (explore and invent with different materials)
· Fine and Gross Motor Skills (pouring, mixing, shaping, lifting, carrying, stirring)
· Sensory Development (tactile, visual, and olfactory stimuli)
· Language Skills (discussing their ideas and purpose for their creations)
· Social Skills (cooperate, negotiate, share ideas, problem-solve)
· Mental Health (children who get outside are happier, more joyous)
· Connection to Nature (children who spend time outdoors feel more of a connection with the natural world)
· Immune System Support (healthy microorganisms in the soil can train the immune system and build up a resistance to illnesses like asthma, allergies, and depression)
The Environment as the Third Teacher & Loose Part Play
In a Reggio Inspired classroom, teachers lean on the environment as the “Third Teacher” by creating beautiful and inviting provocations that are reflective of the child’s learning. Loose parts are an important component of this work, and these open-ended materials provide children with endless opportunities for play. Loose parts help children communicate their ideas while working collaboratively with peers on working, building, and creating.