
What is Reggio Emilia?
- An educational philosophy developed in the 1960s
- Named after the town in which it was developed
- Founded by Loris Malaguzzi who wanted children to have a more holistic education after the war
- Similar in many ways to Montessori and Waldorf
- Come to the US in the 90s
Main Focuses of a Reggio Emilia education
- Teachers learn with children
- Teacher/sparents are seen as guides and the primary learning is child-led
- Suggestions are only made if the child asks for them
- Play-based, especially in the younger years
- Self-directed
- When a child expresses interest/curiosity in a subject/topic, that is what the child is invited to explore
- Education is highly focused on involving and engaging all the senses
- Children are given control over their learning
- Lots of project-based learning
- Documentation is important, learning journals are kept and utilized daily
Other tidbits
- “Hundred Languages of Children”
- Written by the founder and addresses how children are natural communicators and communicate through a variety of methods such as art, writing, drama, speech, etc
- The classroom/learning environment is referred to as the “third teacher”
- Space is kept clutter-free, organized, and full of natural materials
- It is not a “prepared environment” like in Montessori, rather an environment children can play, learn, research, and grow.
How to combine Fun-Schooling with Reggio Emilia and peek inside Reggio Emilia-friendly journals
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