The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education

1. The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education "Each child is unique and the protagonist of his or her own growth. Children desire to acquire knowledge, have much capacity for curiosity and amazement, and yearn to create relationships with others and communicate." Malaguzzi

2. Where is Reggio Emilia? Reggio Emilia is a city in northern Italyin the region of Emilia Romangna.

3. The History of the ApproachIn 1945, days after liberation, Loris Malaguzzi heard about an early childhood program that was being started to help the children recover from the war torn area in Villa Cella. Their wish was to never again have their children suffer from war or be subjected to a fascist regime.

4. Brick by BrickLoris Malaguzzi rode to Villa Cella on his bicycle.He had only been teaching 5 years at the time.Here were laborers, village people, who werepenniless yet building a school for young children by their own hands.

5. The ontology, the belief system, of the Reggio Emilia approach to Early Childhood Education, places the child at the pinnacle of learning. In Loris Malaguzzi’s, Hundred Languages of Children,” he poetically says that you cannot separate the head from the body. The child is envisioned as whole. Children are inquisitive, creative, capable, innovative, social, young citizen who are taken seriously.

6. Theoretical Underpinningthe Reggio Curriculum • Piaget • Vygotsky • Bruner • Dewey • Gardner • Bronfenbrenner

7. The Rights of The Child are Paramount Children have the right to friends.” “A boss that has more rights is no good.” “Freedom means we all talk about things.” “There’s a girl called Anna Frank and she’s got the same name as our school…Maybe they invented this name for the school because she said important things…like we mustn’t hurt people, we must look after them, be friends and make peace.” Reggio Children

8. The Image of the Child Children are citizens from the moment of birth. Children are viewed as having potential, being able to construct their own learning, and are capable. What seems needless to say is necessary. Learning is child-centered. Children are the central figures in the learning environment.

9. A Glimpse of the Reggio Schools and Classrooms

10. Working to Document in the Atelier

13. Atelier - The Art RoomWhere possibilities are endless The atelierista assists children to make an aesthetic, concrete form from their cognitive processes about what they learned for purposes of documentation, reflection, further learning. Often children accomplish it cooperatively.

15. Reggio Curriculum Children, family, teachers, parents, and community are interactive and work together to plan curriculum that emerges from children’s interests.

16. Collaboration Teachers work together, share information, share in planning and in the development of projects. Collaboration among children is important for advancement of cognitive development.

17. Curriculum Projects Emergent curriculum/projects are child- centered, following children’s interests and returned to again and again to add new insights.

18. Documentation as a Means of Assessment, Reflection, Further Learning, and Cooperation

19. Multi-age Grouping in a Public School

20. Planning a Project

21. Incorporating Art

22. Students Explaining Their Thinking

23. Assessment of the Project The City Planner Assessed the Children’s Representation of Their Learning

24. Sharing With Parents

25. The Cahaba River Project by Riverchase Kindergartners

26. The children wanted to find out more about what lives in the river.

27. The children shared their learning with other classes and teachers.

36. Implications for Teachers Teachers reflect on their teaching practices (NBPTS) Collaboration with colleagues, parents, students (professional learning communities) Looping Children are celebrated and seen as competent and capable Dialogue and listening/conferences with students Long term projects (Foss Kits, Understanding by Design The Use of documentation for assessment and communication Multiple ways to involve families Multiple ways for students to represent their learning/differentiated instruction (ELL students and inclusion students too!)