Principles of the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education
The following principles guide our pedagogy of theory and practice inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach and is tailored to our local context in order to meet the preschool educational needs of all our students.
- Image of the Child
Children are viewed as competent, curious, full of knowledge, potential, and interested in connecting to the world around them. Teachers are deeply aware of children’s potentials and construct all of their work and environment of the children’s experience to respond appropriately.
- Collaboration and Interaction
Collaboration and cooperation are intentional in a school inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to education. The entire system is designed to be connected and in relationship. Nothing is left to sit in isolation. Everything is alive and connected. Children, teachers and families join together to continually improve the system that supports our school community.
- The Environment
The space within the school or the environment is considered the third teacher. Teachers intentionally organize, support and plan for various spaces for children. The daily schedules are planned to ensure that there is a balance between individual, small and large group activities, child directed and teacher initiated activity and inside as well as outside experiences.
- The Three Subjects of Education: Children, Families and Teachers
For children to learn, their well-being has to be guaranteed; such well-being is connected with the well being of parents and teachers. Children, parents and teachers have rights; the right to safety, care and welfare, the right to be involved and the right to grow professionally.
- The Power of Documentation
Documentation is a means to collect information, observations and learning. It can be in the form of observations, photography, video, conversation transcripts and/or visual mediums like paint, wire, clay or drawing materials. Teachers use documentation to identify strengths, ideas, and next steps to support learning.
- Emergent Curriculum
Emergent Curriculum is a way of teaching and learning that requires teachers to observe and listen to the children. Teachers ask questions and listen for the children’s ideas, hypotheses and theories. After observing children in action, the teachers compare, discuss, and interpret their observations. Teachers plan activities, studies and long term projects in the classroom based on their observations. Teachers partner with children and the exchange of theories are referred to as the Cycle of Inquiry. Teachers use their interpretations, intentions and goals (social, emotional and academic) to make choices that they share with children. Learning is seen not as a linear process but as a spiraling progression.
- The Hundred Languages of Children
The teacher works closely with other educators and the children through the Studio, an intentional space containing materials and tools to pursue thinking and concepts. What is done with the materials is not art per se, because in the view of Reggio educators the children’s use of media is not a separate part of the curriculum but an integral part of the whole cognitive symbolic expression process of learning.
- The Role of the Teacher
The image of the child shapes the role of the teacher and involves four major components. Teachers are:
- Co-constructors: partners, guides, nurtures, solves problems, learns, hypothesises.
- Researchers: learns, observes, revisits.
- Documenters: listens, records, displays, revisits.
- Advocates for children: involved in the community, politics relating to children, speaks for children and presents work to other educators and community members.
- The Role of Parents
Parents are an essential component of the kindergarten. They are an active part of their children’s learning experiences and help to ensure the welfare of all the children in the kindergarten. All families are members of the Family Team.
- The Role of Time and the Importance of Continuity
Time is influenced by the interests and activities that the children bring to life within the school. This in turn impacts schedules, groupings and routines. Teachers get to know children (strengths, needs and personality) because children stay with the same teacher and the same peer group for the entire academic year.
- Projects
Projects provide the backbone of the children’s and teachers’ learning experiences. They are based on the strong convictions that learning by doing is of great importance and that to discuss in group and to revisit ideas and experiences is the premier way of learning. Project ideas come from experiences of the children and teachers, a chance event or problem posed. They can last from a few days to several weeks.
Our Principles
What is the meaning of the phrase “the hundred languages of children”?
Educators employing the Reggio Emilia Approach believe that children have the right and the ability to express their thinking, theories, ideas, learning and emotions in many ways. Therefore, Reggio Emilia educators provide children with a wide range of materials and media, and welcome a diversity of experiences, so that children encounter many avenues for thinking, revising, constructing, negotiating, developing and symbolically expressing their thoughts and feelings. In this way, teachers, families and children can better understand each other. These languages can include drawing, paint, clay, wire, natural and recycled materials, light and shadow, dramatic play, music and dance. They can also include expression with words through metaphors, stories or poems of the children’s interpretations and reflections about their experiences or through special design, such as maps and three dimensional constructions. In fact, there is not a separation between what it is considered traditionally artistic expression and academic education under the Reggio Emilia Approach. All are considered part of the one hundred and more languages of learning. Teachers in Reggio Emilia often encourage children to represent their ideas on a particular topic in multiple languages, and find that the process of moving between languages supports children in their understanding and learning.
The Educator-Learner partnership in the Reggio Emilia Approach
The Reggio Emilia educators believe that children, teachers and families are partners in learning, and that children have the right and the ability to construct their own learning with the support and participation of teachers and families. Reggio Emilia educators use the term 'progettazione' to describe the evolution of learning that results from the processes of observation, interpretation and documentation of the experiences of children, teachers and families together. At the basis of this process is the pedagogy of relationships and listening. In order for children and adults to construct learning together and find meaning in the world around them, reciprocal dialogue and interaction is established and maintained throughout our kindergarten community.
What is the Reggio Emilia Approach?
Our kindergarten program is inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy of education that originated in Northern Italy. We however do not intend to fully duplicate this philosophy because our children, families and teachers all offer a different culture, location and perspective.
The Reggio Emilia philosophy is an approach to teaching, learning and advocacy for children. In its most basic form, it is a way of observing what children know, are curious about and what challenges them. Teachers record these observations to reflect on developmentally appropriate ways to help children expand their academic and social potentials. Long term projects connect core academic areas in and out of the classroom.
Our Values
Along the meandering path of childhood, children find joy in great and small things. In early childhood, children become aware of the wonder of life and the incredible marvel of being human.
In the presence of others, among gentle, smiling people, children discover lovely surprises each day. To learn self-control, to develop honesty and integrity, to grow in empathy and become a happy, caring human being, a child needs time and space to play.
Children are at the centre of their learning, discovering the pleasure of independence through encounters with people in supportive, respectful environments. Learning takes place when ideas, concepts and theories are shared with others.
To clearly see, to absolutely hear, to truly feel, children need clarity, acceptance and generosity from their teachers and parents. Children grow upward and outward through action and joy towards friendship, happiness and the discovery of the unknown.