The Reggio Emilia Approach Based in Reggio Emilia, Italy

History of Reggio Emilia Approach After the destruction of the city during World War II, the community sought out a new approach to bring up children in a changing world. Many families were uprooted from Southern Italy to find work and suitable living conditions up North. Parents and community members worked together to build schools and devise a curriculum that would instill collaboration and activism in their growing children. Loris Malaguzzi offered a new idea of learning and expressing through creativity. They conceived a curriculum intended to promote critical thinking, collaboration with the community/parents, and challenge the traditional thought of child development.

Basic Principles Children’s multiple symbolic languages Long-term projects as vehicles for learning Parent/Community Involvement The environment as the third teacher. Teachers as partners in learning; teachers as researchers. Documentation as advocacy for an emergent curriculum.

The Hundred Languages of Childhood The Symbolic Languages of Childhood 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 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 Founder of the Reggio Approach

The Hundred Languages of Childhood What are the multiple languages of Children? Symbolic languages, including drawing, sculpting, dramatic play, writing, painting are used to represent children’s thinking processes and theories. As children work through problems and ideas they are encouraged to depict their understanding using many different representations. As their thinking evolves they are encouraged to revisit their work to determine if it is representative of their intent, or if they require modification. Teachers and children work together towards an expressed intent.

Children as Individuals Children can learn differently through all of their senses (Touch, smell, sight, taste, hearing, and movement as well). Strengthen relationships between children & their environment through natural materials: water, leaves, branches, flowers, light & shadow, rain, stones, wood, soil… Children should have control over the direction of their own learning.

Children as Individuals Children are OUR vehicles for learning. Use every learning experience to enhance the next. Build longevity projects with lessons that are increasingly complex, and driven by what the children respond positively to.

Image of the Child This refers to how you see children and how you treat them. In Reggio Emilia, they treat children as capable and competent people. One way to do this in your own classroom: look at what you do for children that they can do for themselves. When they ask if they can do something or learn something…Try asking yourself…Why not? Every interaction with the child is remembered, so make it meaningful! It’s important for children to see the image of their teacher as being positive, & understanding – a partner for adventures in learning.

Long-Term Projects as Vehicles for Learning Projects often arise from continued interest in topics. Those topics may derive from teacher observations of children’s spontaneous play and exploration. Projects can also be selected on the basis of academic curiosity or social concern by the adults.

Long-Term Projects as Vehicles for Learning Emergent Curriculum often describes a set of children’s interests: events in play or exploration that dictate the direction of the curriculum. The most successful projects are the ones that generate a sufficient amount of interest and ambiguity to provoke creative thinking and problem-solving. Teachers must place a high value on their own ability to improvise and respond to children’s changing interests. Enjoy the unexpected with them!

Revisiting and Expanding Upon Our Work Encourage children to work slowly with intent and planning throughout their process, help break down a larger task into smaller focused steps – as opposed to rushing through projects and paying superficial attention, in an effort to create many products. -Call out details in their work -Ask questions -Discuss all senses used -Highlight peers’ approaches Brainstorm some verbal prompts to extend interest

Parental Involvement/Community Support A bridge between school and home fosters the support system needed to raise children in a collaborative society. Parents are viewed as partners, collaborators, & advocates for their children, so their involvement in curriculum is critical to teachers.

Parental Involvement/Community Support Guest speakers of either parents in the classroom or outside of it can be a great learning experience for both teachers and children. The discussion with the guest speakers can inspire new avenues of where the current project can go .or new projects entirely! And it can be refreshing to see new faces visit the classroom!

Environment as a Third Teacher The organization of the classroom should represent the connection between the materials that naturally exist in nature and ourselves; “Bringing the outside in.” The classroom includes intimate spaces for small group work, common areas for children to converse and play together, a place to be alone, and space to explore different materials through touch, smell, etc. It should be a space where children can learn just by exploring.

Environment as a Third Teacher Think of your favorite room in your house or your favorite space in your apartment. Why is it inviting? Does the sun light hit that place just perfectly? Does it have everything organized so that you know where everything thing is? Does the space have multiple soft spaces to sit? Think of the details, those small things that make it feel like home: plants, fresh cut flowers, curtains, framed art on the walls, etc. What kinds of details can you add to the classroom to make it feel more home-like?

Caring for the Environment Being involved in their own environment is an important component for children in Reggio programs. The children learn to care for themselves as well as the space they live in. Some of the activities include: Growing plants Caring for pets Grooming Setting a table Tidying toys Tidying art rooms Through these activities the children recognize their personal strengths and accomplishments. They learn to become responsible and active participants in the care of their environment – so they learn to respect it and all that lives in it.

Teachers as Partners in Learning Teachers are a complex aspect of the Reggio Emilia approach, but the underlying theme of their involvement is of “co-learning”. Teachers are researchers; studying topics that are unfamiliar alongside the children. In addition to the children’s current interests, they study aspects of children that relate to development, social skills, etc. Teachers help guide the activity towards further learning experiences with open-ended questions, introducing new materials at appropriate times, and actively participating in the activity with the children.

Being involved in the activities helps children stay engaged, and helps the teachers hone their observation skills. Documenting the experience as much as you can will help you catch every detail that may have been missed during the activity; it allows you to look back at the activity highlights and amend your approach going forward. “The teacher is one who makes two ideas grow where only one grew before” -Elbert Hubbard Documentation examples: taking notes, photographs, tape recordings, videos, etc.

The Teacher’s Role in the Classroom ● To co-explore the learning experience with the children ● To provoke ideas and problem-solving ● To take ideas from the children and return them for further exploration ● To organize the classroom and materials so that they draw the children in ● To organize materials to encourage thoughtful decisions about the media ● To be a researcher, continuing professional development

The Teacher’s Role in the Classroom ● To help children see the connections in learning and experiences ● To document children’s progress: visual, video, tape recording, portfolios, etc. ● To help children express knowledge through increasingly representational work ● To form a “collective” among other teachers and parents ● To have a dialogue about the projects with parents and other teachers ● To foster the connection between home, school, and community

Displays & Portfolios Collaborate with the child when selecting work for their portfolio Choose portfolio pieces that display new competencies, or illustrate a theme that is present throughout their learning. Sit regularly with your each child and revisit their portfolio – add their reactions to their work, and why they consider it to be important. Coloring and borders on displays should be neutral to emphasize children’s work. Include a title, a short activity description, plus your observations to tell a story and help set the stage – write in a large font and minimize text. Add larger photos, and direct quotes from the children during the activity. Include an area for viewers to become interactive with the display – pose questions and post note paper for visitors’ responses. Include different representations of the project using multiple media – photos, sketches and original art.

Studio Space The Atelier is the school’s studio and laboratory. The atelier is a place for experimentation in small groups with separate or combined materials, and it should be calm and inviting. There are mini ateliers or studios in the classrooms, which should be defined spaces, where focus is easy i.e. sheer fabric screens and calming nature sounds on CD. The studios are equipped with clay, wire, paint, pens, paper, beads, shells, recycled products, etc.

Suggested Reading

In Conclusion, make the center/classroom your own! Tap into your colleagues’, parents’, and community’s experiences! Use the resources around you for ideas and make it your own! Get in touch with your curiosity. You can make every project a learning experience for you too! Have fun! This should be a meaningful experience for you as well! The key thing to take away from this philosophy is that your center is INSPIRED by Reggio Emilia. The philosophy has many beneficial things to take away and implement in your center, but your center and every other center is different. The activities are different, the resources & surroundings are different, and more importantly, you, the teachers/staff are different. The uniqueness of your parent & family community should be reflected in the classroom environment you create, as well as the topics you choose to study.