TNA _ieee A ‘THE UNIQUE ORIGIN OF THE REGGIO EMILIA PHILQ PRODUCED A VERY DIFFERENT AND INNOVATIVE API TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. IN ITS. FOUNDING, REGGIO EMILIA WAS DEEPLY WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, COMMUNITY, AND PEOPLE, IT WAS FIRST DEVELOPED AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF WORLD WAR Il BY PSYCHOLOGIST LORIS MALAGUZZI AND PARENTS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA OF REGGIO EMILIA IN ITALY, WHERE THE PHILOSOPHY GETS ITS NAME. THEY BELIEVED ‘THAT CHILDREN WOULD BENEFIT FROM A NEW AND PROGRESSIVE WAY OF LEARNING. WORKING UNDER THE ‘ASSUMPTION THAT CHILDREN BEGIN TO FORM UNIQUE PERSONALITIES DURING THE EARLY YEARS OF CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND EXPRESS THEIR IDEAS AND INTERESTS IN-A VARIETY OF WAYS ("A HUNDRED LANGUAGES"), THIS COMMUNITY-ORIENTED STYLE OF LEARNING WAS FORMED. THIS UNIQUE APPROACH HAS GROWN OVER MANY DECADES TO BE RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE BEST EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG CHEMILIA COMMUNITY IN ITALY, AND TIGHTLY WOVEN THE APPROACH IS IN THE FABRIC OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, COMMUNITY, AND PEOPLE, IT IS DIFFICULT TO EXACTLY REPLICATE THIS APPROACH IN THE UNITED STATES. AS A RESULT, SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES THAT FOLLOW THE REGGIO EMILIA PHILOSOPHY == OFTEN CALL ‘THEMSELVES REGGIO-INSPIRED. TO BE REGGIO EMILIA- INSPIRED IS TO ADOPT THE CORE VALUES AND BELIEFS OF THIS APPROACH AND. LET THEM GUIDE THE EVOLUTION OF THE CURRICULUM AND DEVELOPMENT OF THEWaite ich ay an Tin NCIPLEEMERGENT CURRICULUM A CLASSROOM’S CURRICULUM STEMS FROM THE PARTICULAR INTERESTS OF CHILDREN. CURRICULUM TOPICS ARE DERIVED FROM TALKING WITH CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES, AS WELL AS FROM THINGS THAT ARE KNOWN TO BE INTERESTING TO CHILDREN (PUDDLES, DINOSAURS, AND SO ON). TEACHERS COMPARE NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS IN TEAM PLANNING SESSIONS TO DECIDE WHICH PROJECTS WOULD BE BEST SUITED TO CHILDREN IN THEIR CLASSES, WHAT MATERIALS WILL BE NEEDED, AND HOW THEY CAN ENCOURAGE PARENTS AND. THE COMMUNITY TO BECOME INVOLVED._——_t a THESE PROJECTS ARE THOROUGH STUDIES (eer IDEAS BASED ON THE INFORMATION GATHERED ABOUT CHILDREN’S INTERESTS. PROJECTS ARE OFTEN INTRODUCED TO CHILDREN AS ADVENTURES AND CAN LAST ANYWHERE FROM A WEEK OR TWO TO THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR. TEACHERS ACT AS ADVISORS ON THESE PROJECTS, HELPING CHILDREN DECIDE IN WHICH DIRECTION THEY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THEIR RESEARCH, HOW THEY CAN REPRESENT WHAT THEY LEARN, AND WHAT MATERIALS WOULD BE BEST SUITED FOR THEl fee REPRESENTATIONS.— 2 Ft a a et ST . = i REPRESENTATIONAL DEVELOPMENT THIS PRINCIPAL TAKES INTO ACCOUNT HOWARD GARDNER’S CONCEPT OF MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES. THE REGGIO EMILIA APPROACH CALLS FOR THE PRESENTATION OF NEW IDEAS AND CONCEPTS IN MULTIPLE FORMS, SUCH AS PRINT, ART, DRAMA, MUSIC, PUPPETRY, AND SO ON. , | VARIED PRESENTATIONS ENSURE THAT ALL CHILDREN HAVE THE CHANCE TO UNDERSTAND AND CONNECT WITH THe | CONCEPTS BEING EXPLORED.eo? at rr. “wit ae * COLLABORATION THE IDEA OF COLLABORATION IS SEEN AS NECESSARY TO FURTHER A CHILD’S COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT. GROUPS BOTH LARGE AND SMALL ARE ENCOURAGED TO WORK TOGETHER TO PROBLEM- SOLVE USING DIALOGUE, COMPARISONS, NEGOTIATIONS, AND OTHER IMPORTANT INTERPERSONAL SKILLS. EACH CHILD’S VOICE IS HEARD IN ORDER TO PROMOTE A BALANCE BETWEEN A SENSE OF BELONGING TO THE GROUP AND A SENSE OF SELF.a pial UE tee NN SU | ai NCIPLES\— CHILDREN ARE CAPABLE TO CONSTRUCT THEIR OWN LEARNING IN REGGIO EMILIA, CHILDREN ARE THE MAIN INITIATORS OF THE LEARNING PROCESS. THEY ARE INSPIRED BY THEIR OWN INTEREST TO KNOW AND LEARN, AND AS SUCH THEY ARE ENDOWED WITH A UNIQUELY INDIVIDUALISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO CONSTRUCT LEARNING ON THEIR OWN. IN OTHER WORDS, CHILDREN SHOULD BE TREATED AS ACTIVE COLLABORATORS IN THEIR EDUCATION, AS OPPOSED TO PASSIVE OBSERVERS.CHILDREN ARE COLLABORATORS AND LEARN THROUGH INTERACTION WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES. LEARNING IS BASED ON INTERRELATIONSHIPS — NOT JUST WITHIN REGGIO EMILIA. BUT ACROSS ALL SPECTRUMS OF LEARNING; HOWEVER, IN REGGIO EMILIA THERE IS A CLOSE INTERACTION BETWEEN TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND CHILDREN. AS. INDICATED BY THE FIRST PRINCIPLE, CHILDREN ARE COLLABORATORS AND WORK BEST WHEN INCLUDED IN A COMMUNITY AS OPPOSED TO WORKING INDEPENDENTLY. THEREFORE, REGGIO EMILIA PLACES AN EMPHASIS ON WORKING IN SMALL GROUPS, WHICH IS BASED ON THE IDEA THAT WE FORM OURSELVES THROUGH INTERACTION WITH PEERS, ADULTS, AND THE WORLD AROUND US.CHILDREN ARE NATURAL COMMUNICATORS AND SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES HOWEVER THEY FEEL THEY CAN. ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND ASPECTS OF REGGIO EMILIA IS KNOWN AS THE HUNDRED LANGUAGES OF CHILDREN, WRITTEN BY THE FOUNDER OF THE PHILOSOPHY LORIS MALAGUZZI. THE CONCEPT OF THE HUNDRED LANGUAGES IS. THAT CHILDREN ARE NATURAL COMMUNICATORS, AND THUS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO COMMUNICATE THROUGH WHATEVER MEANS THEY CAN. THIS MAY INCLUDE WORDS, MOVEMENT, DRAWINGS, PAINTINGS, BUILDINGS, SCULPTURES, AND MORE. BECAUSE OF THE MANY WAYS THAT CHILDREN EXPRESS, DISCOVER, AND LEARN, CHILDREN SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO USE MANY ‘MATERIALS FOR SCOVERY, COMMUNICATION, AND EVEN DEMONSTRATION OF WHAT THEY, UNDERSTAND, WONDER, QUESTION, FEEL, OR IMAGINE. IT IS THEN, CONVERSELY* THE TEACHER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO FACILITATE THE EXPLORATION OF A CHILD'S RROUNDINGS.(zp THE Ch ASSROOM ENVIRONMENT} ACTS AS THE THIRD TEACHER. ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL AND IMPORTANT COMPONENTS. OF INCORPORATING _A GGIO-STYLE HILOSOPHY _INTO__A CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT IS TO ENSURE THAT THE CLASSROOM ACTS AS A “LIVING ORGANISM, A PLACE OF SHARED RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE CHILDREN, THE TEACHERS, THE PARENTS, AND A FEELING OF BELONGING IN A WORLD THAT IS ALIVE, WELCOMING, AND AUTHENTIC.” BECAUSE THE CLASSROOM ACTS AS A LIVING ORGANISM, IT IS ONE OF THE MORE CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN THE REGGIO PHILOSOPHY. CLASSROOMS AND COMMON SPACES ARE CAREFULLY INTEGRATED WITH ONE ANOTHER, AS WELL AS WITH THE OUTSIDE COMMUNITY. CLASSROOMS ALSO USE NATURAL FURNISHING ENCOURAGE REAL-LIFE INTERACTIONS.7) TEACHERS ARE PARTNERS, NURTURERS, AND GUIDES WHO HELP FACILITATE THE EXPLORATION (OF CHILDREN'S INTERESTS AS THEY WORK ON SHORT AND LONG-TERM PROJECTS. | IN THE REGGIO EMILIA PHILOSOPHY, TEACHERS ARE PARTNERS IN THE LEARNING PROCESS. THEY ARE EXPECTED TO BE THE ONES WHO GUIDE EXPERIENCES, OPEN-ENDED DISCOVERY, AND PROBLEM SOLVING. THE MAIN GOAL FOR THE TEACHER IS TO LISTEN AND OBSERVE THE CHILDREN, AS - WELL AS QUESTION AND LISTEN FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ENCOURAGE FURTHER EXPLORATION OF A CHILD'S INTERESTS. CHILDREN AND TEACHERS. CJ | ARE EXPECTED TO COLLABORATE, BUT IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE a TEACHER TO IDENTIFY WHEN A CONCEPT CAN BE USED TO FURTHER DISCOVERY AND LEARNING. AS A MENTOR, IT ALSO MEANS THAT TEAC! I ARE NOT PLANNING PROJECTS OR LEARNING POINTS IN ADVANCE - TI ee ] | ALLOWING PROJECTS TO EMERGE BASED ON THE INTERESTS oe tH , / CHILDREN.a DOCUMENTATION IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF COMMUNICATION TEACHERS, IN ADDITION TO PLAYING THE ROLE OF A GUIDE, ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR DOCUMENTING THE LEARNING PROCESS WITHIN THE CLASSROOM AND. TRANSCRIBING THE VERBAL LANGUAGE USED BY CHILDREN. TEACHERS MAY TAKE: PHOTOS AND EVEN VIDEOS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CHILDREN AND ASSIST. PARENTS IN BECOMING MORE AWARE OF WHAT THEIR CHILD IS DOING. DOCUMENTATION ALSO PROVIDES TEACHERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVALUATE THEIR: OWN WORK AND EXCHANGE IDEAS WITH OTHERS. MOREOVER, DOCUMENTATION DEMONSTRATES TO CHILDREN THAT THEIR WORK IS OF VALUE. THROUGH DOCUMENTATION, A CHILD MAY FINISH THEIR PRESCHOOL EXPERIENCE AT A REGGIO. | EMILIA CHILD CARE CENTER WITH A PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS, PICTURES, PHOTOS, | SCRIPTS, AND QUOTES THAT THEY MAKE TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN, AS IT REPRESENTS THE | [STEPS THEY'VE MADE THROUGHOUT THEIR EDUCATION, kk iiSSSEC2 TT Lra é PARENTS ARE PARTNERS IN EDUCATION REGGIO EMILIA SEES PARENTAL PARTICIPATION IN THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION AS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE LEARNING PHILOSOPHY. IT MAY TAKE FORM IN MANY WAYS, BUT PARENTS SHOULD ALWAYS BE INVITED TO PLAY AN. ACTIVE ROLE IN THEIR CHILD'S LEARNING EXPERIENCES AS WELL AS HELP TO ENSURE THE WELFARE OF THE CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY AROUND THEM. PARENTS, BOTH THEIR SKILLS AND IDEAS, ARE VERY VALUABLE IN EVERY REGGIO CONIMUNITY. TEACHERS IN REGGIO-INSPIRED PROGRAMS EVEN RECOGNIZE AND RESPECT PARENTS AS A CHILD'S. TRUE PRIMARY TEACHER, AND EDUCATORS ARE POSITIONED AS ADVOCATES AND LEARNERS ALONGSIDE ‘THE CHILDREN, ALSO KNOWN AS “THE SECOND TEACHER.” PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IS CRITICAL TO THE CREATION OF ALEARNING COMMUNITY FOR CHILDREN,THE REGGIO EMILIA APPROACH TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION VIEWS YOUNG CHILDREN AS INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THEIR WORLD AND HAVE THE POWERFUL POTENTIAL TO LEARN FROM ALL THAT SURROUNDS THEM. EDUCATIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIOLOGICAL INFLUENCES ARE IMPORTANT FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN UNDERSTANDING CHILDREN AND WORKING TO STIMULATE LEARNING IN APPROPRIATE WAYS. REGGIO TEACHERS EMPLOY STRATEGIES SUCH AS _ EXPOSING CHILDREN TO A WIDE VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. THAT ENCOURAGE SELF- EXPRESSION, COMMUNICATION, LOGICAL THINKING, AND PROBLEM-SOLVING.PCN BAU ALU wu——<— THE REGGIO EMILIA APPROACH IS AN EDUCA AND. EDAGOGY AND CONSTRL GUIDED CURRICULUM FOCUSED ON PRESCHOOL AND PRIMARY EDUCATION. THIS APPROACH IS A STUDENT-CENTERED THAT USES SELF- DIRECTED, ERIENTIAL LE ING IN _ RELATIONSHIP-DRIVEN. ENVIRONMENTS. THE PROGRAMME IS BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY AND COMMUNITY THROUGH EXPLORATION, DISCOVERY AND PLAY. AT THE CORE OF THIS PHILOSOPHY IS AN ASSUMPTION THAT CHILDREN FORM THEIR OWN PERSONALITY DURING THE EARLY YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT AND THAT THEY ARE ENDOWED WITH “A HUNDRED LANGUAGES", THROUGH WHICH THEY CAN EXPRESS THEIR IDEAS. THE AIM : OF THE REGGIO APPROACH IS TO TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO USE THES! : SYMBOLIC LANGUAGES (E.G. PAINTING, SCULPTING, DRAMA) IN EVERYDA LIFE.ee = i ROLE OF ENVIRONMENT MALAGUZZI BELIEVED THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT TO BE OF [RerenneD 70 IMPORTANCE TO THE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM; HE REFERRED TO IT AS THE "THIRD TEACHER", ALONGSIDE ADULTS AND OTHER STUDENTS. ONE OF THE AIMS IN THE DESIGN OF NEW SPACES - AND THE REDESIGN OF EXISTING ONES - IS INTEGRATION OF THE Ga | CLASSROOM SPACE WITH THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT: THE REST Cy | OF THE SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITY THE SCHOOL IS A PART OF. THE ~ IMPORTANCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT LIES IN THE BELIEF THAT CHILDREN 4 CAN BEST CREATE MEANING AND MAKE SENSE OF THEIR WORLD | THROUGH ENVIRONMENTS WHICH SUPPORT "COMPLEX, VAIS | SUSTAINED, AND CHANGING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PEOPLEQ#qIIEEree RPA abe eh tah COLO — Se2 OONTERADITUONAL §—— LENIN fy] SAVIONMLENTY WERE HERE HE) SS ASSIRMED SHIGTS, SILOM GUNMEN I Aves SUPPLIES nD eam AUSF NL, ME _BNERsEsneRNE MSG AND GRERENKS vO IA ese Nich INU (CETESSHTUNIMS TS MT & FLEXIBUE|AND OPEN-ENDED) TEACHER'S ARE MEENA SHAM ENON CTU FTro Z St — x ——_> ae _g-—~ a SS ee aes i = i EXPERIENCED-BASED REFERS TO A FOCUS ON CREATING EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN THROUGH DOING SOMETHING ACTIVE RATHER THAN LEARNING THROUGH LISTENING OR WATCHING. ANOTHER IS TO INTEGRATE PRACTICAL, REAL-WORK EXPERIENCE INTO YOUR COURSE OF STUDY, OR_TO LEARN WHILE DOING. ( FIELD TRIPS, OUTDOOR EDUCATION, GROUP WORK IN AND OUT OF», ; CLASSROOM) : --_—_Y x . ‘Ss ana ee 9 =< i PLAY-BASED REFERS TO EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IS STAGED TO ENSURE CHILDREN ARE EXPOSED TO A MULTITUDE OF LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY CHOOSE THEIR OWN PLAY ACTIVITIES. THERE IS LITTLE STRUCTURE OR FORCED LEARNING; JUST AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO EXPLORE AND PLAY WITH ALL THE AVAILABLE (MATERIALS, ( DRAWING, PAINTING, BUILDING A HOUSE | WITH BLOCKS)=~ 4 = — = . > 7 Sete i =< i CHILD-LED LEARNING AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF REGGIO EMILIA APPROACH BECAUSE IN THIS APPROACH, CHILDS DECIDES WHAT TO LEARN, WHEN TO LEARN ABOUT IT AND HOW LONG THEY’LL FOCUS ON IT. THE APPROACH BELIEVES THAT CHILDREN CHOOSING THEIR OWN EDUCATIONAL PATHS WILL REMAIN ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE LEARNING |PROCESS LONGER WHEN THEY FORCIBLY GUIDED TO} LEARN TOPICS. 4