Reggio daycare: Preschool | Reggio & Co.

5 key elements of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education

by Rainforest Learning Centre

There are many approaches and philosophies to teaching early childhood education. The Reggio Emilia approach is one of them. This approach, which originated in Italy with “over 40 years of experience,” places strong emphasis on the development of “strong, capable, and resilient” children. Here we’ll tell you about 5 key elements of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education.

1. Children’s learning is based on their interests

Kate from Aneverydaystory.com (linked to above), explains how the Reggio Emilia approach views children as capable of acquiring knowledge within themselves through their natural curiosity and creativity. What they are and become interested in, becomes an important element in their own learning process.

2. Teachers and parents are co-learners in the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education

Learningmaterialswork. com says that, instead of leading the learning process, teachers and parents working with the Reggio Emilia approach act as collaborators in the learning process of the children. The Reggio Emilia approach encourages them to offer their knowledge and help. But most of all, teachers and parents listen, observe, document, and encourage children in whatever it is they are interested in doing.

3. The classroom environment is a “third teacher”

The Reggio Emilia approach sees the child’s surroundings as an excellent medium through which a child’s learning experience can be enriched. Thus, the Reggio Emilia approach calls for a classroom that is open, comfortable, and welcoming. So the classroom must offer access to various learning tools for children to explore.

According to learningmaterialswork.com (linked to previously), such a classroom setup also allows for mobility and communication between peers. Group and peer communication is also a primordial aspect of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. Children are often involved in small and large group projects. Chevychasereggio.com (linked to at the beginning of this article) explains how such collaborative learning encourages children to “talk, critique, compare, negotiate, hypothesize and problem-solve.”

4. Children’s learning progress is documented

Because the Reggio Emilia approach encourages a child’s independent learning, it is crucial that the learning progress is carefully documented. The approach believes such documentation must be done, for the most part, in a visual manner. So teachers take pictures, save children’s work (such as drawings, crafts, works of art or “transcripts of children’s thoughts”), and display them in the classroom. In this way, children, teachers and parents can follow the individual learning progress of each child.

5. Teachers focus on the many ways kids learn

The Reggio Emilia approach to childhood education believes that children have an “endless number” of ways of learning. This is thus reflected in the many materials, methods, instruments, activities, ideas, tools, etc., that the Reggio Emilia approach presents to children. Reggio Emilia schools make all of these learning tools available to children based on their ongoing interests. It is a very hands-on approach to learning and discovering.

The above are perhaps some of the most known and crucial elements in the Reggio Emilia approach. This method of early childhood education is one of the more popular approaches among early childhood educators because of its easy-going, yet holistic approach to educating the very young.

See related on our blog:

• What is a Montessori daycare or preschool, and are they better or worse than other programs?
• What is Waldorf education and why does it matter when choosing a daycare?
• The benefits of Emergent Curriculum in preschool
• 4 Top benefits of outdoor education in early childhood
• StrongStart B.C. vs. preschool: which one is right for you?

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How This Child Care Center Transforms Children’s Learning With a Reggio Emilia Approach

On this episode of The Preschool Podcast, we have Bernadette Testani, Owner & Head of School at Atelier Kids. Bernadette discusses how her child care center uses the Reggio Philosophy to educate and provide the best learning experiences for children.

Bernadette states that they’re not just “using” the philosophy at her center, rather “it’s at the core of everything they do.” The child is at the center of everything they do and every decision they make has to take into consideration the image of the child. Each child and staff member are valued for their ideas and contributions and what they bring to the environment.

Bernadette states that “there’s a huge deficit of nature when it comes to our children today. They’re not outside enough but yet, it’s a wonderful opportunity for learning. But, if you think about it, a lot of families may be nervous, especially with a newborn of the concept of having children outdoors. ” At Atelier Kids, their Forest School removes the barriers from families around the concept of “the outdoors and young children”. Atelier Kids educates families on the importance and safety measures they take in their programs as well as how they remain prepared when the class is outside all day every day.

What we really need to teach our kids is to love learning. You need to keep learning if the world keeps changing

Bernadette Testani, Atelier Kids

While many centers may call themselves “Reggio-inspired”, this is often just the beginning process in order to incorporate the full Reggio Emilia philosophy into everything a child care center does in order for it to become the focal point. At Atelier Kids, they have an Atelierista ad Pedagogista. The Atelierista is responsible for working with the educators and children to incorporate in-depth projects and journeys where children are learning. The Pedagogista is responsible for ensuring that Atelier Kids takes all of the elements of Reggio Emilia philosophy and all of the other philosophies that are present at Atelier Kids and ensuring that it fits the community.

Another key element that Atelier Kids has implemented is ensuring that children who are off to a traditional school setting are prepared for their next chapter. Atelier Kids’ kindergarten program ensured that children were ready by instilling a love for learning and showing diversity in the classroom and showing that their voices were heard regardless of their age.

Bernadette mentions a Ted Talk by the late Sir Ken Robinson as an excellent discussion for creating an education system that nurtures children rather than undermines their creativity. As well, she praises the book “The Visionary Director, Second Edition: A Handbook for Dreaming, Organizing, and Improvising in Your Center” as a goldmine for all directors and owners Want to learn more about Atelier Kids and their philosophy and resources? Check out their blog which is full of educational resources for educators and families and their Instagram to stay up to date with all of the exciting happenings on site!

Episode 261 Transcripts:

Bernadette TESTANI:

Our main thing is talking about kindness and inclusion, and it’s something that we actively nurture. We really, really emphasize the value and the importance of finding positive connections, rather than focusing on differences.

Ron SPREEUWENBERG: 

Bernadette, welcome to the Preschool Podcast!

TESTANI:

Thank you, Ron, it’s a pleasure to be here again.

SPREEUWENBERG: 

Yeah, great to have you back. We’ve had a couple of returned guests lately, which is always a pleasure. With us today, we have Bernadette Testani. She’s the owner and the head of Atelier Kids here in Toronto, Canada. And we’re looking forward to talking to her today about Reggio [Emelia], something that a lot of folks in our network have been interested in learning a little bit more about. So, I think it’s a really timely conversation.

So, Bernadette, welcome back to the Preschool Podcast. For our listeners who have not had the opportunity to meet you or listen to our previous podcast, maybe you can tell them a little bit about who you are and your philosophy on education.

TESTANI:

Sure, I’d be happy to, Ron, thank you. First of all, from on a personal note, I’m a mother of two wonderful young adults who I describe as successful. And for me, when I say “successful”, I think that they are kind people who are pursuing their passion. And that’s one thing that’s always guided me.

In terms of my own background, I had 20 years of corporate business experience. I was a partner with an executive search firm. And then I started running daycares, which is the natural progression, apparently. And my own personal philosophy of education has really stemmed from my experience as a mother and raising children.

And the thing that has really struck me both in my corporate practice and what I see with what’s going on in the world, whether it’s because of technology, social media, etc., but there’s a fast pace of change in innovation and we really don’t know what the future holds for our kids. We think we know, in terms of some of the jobs that are going to be created. But something like over 50% of jobs that our children will have don’t even exist today.

So, it really kind of blew me away when I thought about that. And I said, “How do we educate and prepare our kids for a future that is so unknown?” And it was around that time that I had exposure to the Reggio Emilia philosophy.

And what I realized is what we really need to teach our kids is to love learning because you need to keep learning if the world keeps changing. And the question becomes, “How do you still instill that in a child and make them love the concept of learning?”

SPREEUWENBERG:

Very cool. Yeah, it’s an interesting point. I never thought about that in terms of how many jobs or careers in the future don’t even exist today. But it actually makes sense when you think about the pace of change and then I guess how that relates to learning. It makes a lot of sense.

And I think it aligns with how we think about things in child education, too, right? Just focusing more on some of those fundamental pieces. And by the way, maybe we should get you back for a podcast, then, on recruiting early-childhood educators, given your background.

TESTANI:

You know what, I would love to do that. I really had a lot of experience in that.

SPREEUWENBERG:

That’s cool, I didn’t know that. Okay, so tell us then a little bit more. So, at Atelier Kids, how are you using the Reggio Emilia philosophy at your center?

TESTANI:

The one thing I’ll say is, we’re not using the philosophy. It’s actually at the core of what we do. We’ve really taken it to heart. The philosophy talks about a lot of different things – environment is the third teacher, one hundred languages of learning. But at the center of it all is the child.

And one of the things… I’ve been to Italy several times. I’ve been studying the philosophy now for several years. Any time you make a decision, it has to be based on, what is the image of the child? And it’s predicated on the fact that there’s no one right way to learn or teach. Everyone is treated as an individual. And each child is valued for their ideas – as well as staff members –and what they bring to the environment. But the child is always at the center of it.

So, I’m going to give you an example. One of the things that we know – and I think most people will agree with – is that there is a huge deficit of nature when it comes to our children today. They’re not outside enough. But yet it is a wonderful opportunity for learning. So, I think most people would agree with that. Right, Ron?

SPREEUWENBERG:

I agree.

TESTANI:

Yeah, but if you think about it, there are many parents that, with a newborn or a young child, they’re very nervous about this concept of having children outdoors. We are in High Park [Toronto] all the time. We actually have started a “forest school” where we have the older kids outside for the entire day.

Now, some parents might think, “Oh, you’re taking my kid out of the daycare. There’s stranger danger. What if they have to go to the washroom? What if this happens? What if that happens?”

So, what we need to do in order to focus on the image of the child, we know this to be good for the child. Let’s remove the obstacles. And that means educating the parents and being prepared. So, we’ve got a first aid kit. Everyone is well versed in checking for ticks. We know how to ensure that children are self-regulated while we go on dry runs to make sure that they just don’t go run off.

And so all of these things take a lot of work and energy. And not a lot of people are willing to do it because, quite honestly, they’re afraid. But let’s think about the image of the child. The child needs this. So, that’s what continues to guide me every day, which is we can all talk about reasons why not to do things. But I think it’s important enough for the child. So, we find a way to do it. And we’ve been very successful with the example, which is the High Park trips.

Yeah, I like that. You take the most fundamental, important thing and then you can figure out all the pieces around it. It makes a lot of sense because you can kind of get bogged down in all the all those details, otherwise. So, I like that. And I’m sure you’ve probably learned a lot and gotten better and better at running programs outside and in nature over time, as well, I might imagine.

TESTANI:

Yeah, I mean, we’ve partnered with the High Park Nature Center. And they’re the ones that got us started because it’s very difficult. You need to know where to go, what areas of the park to go to, etc. And from there, the teachers, initially they may have been a little bit hesitant – maybe they didn’t have the right clothing, etc. But now they just love being outdoors. And I notice our staff are a lot happier when they’re outdoors, as well. And it all is kind of like, “Duh, of course, everyone’s happier outside.” That’s where we should be most of the time.

SPREEUWENBERG:

Yeah, I know. That’s come up on the Preschool Podcast before, too, where it’s just like, everybody’s had that feeling, I think, where you’re inside, you’re feeling kind of groggy or whatever, and you go outside and you do something and then all of a sudden you’ve got a bit of a boost in energy.

TESTANI:

Yeah, absolutely. And then another part that is becoming more important for us, is our parents when they when they entrust us with the care of their child, this whole idea of, “Let’s go back to 21^st century skills and being successful, however you define it,” it really requires… it’s a social endeavor. Social skills are the things that are going to help us all be successful.

And diversity is so important. And it can be diversity of anything, whether it’s diversity of thought, diversity of culture, etc. And we know that our main thing is talking about kindness and inclusion. And it’s something that we actively nurture. We really, really emphasize the value and the importance of finding positive connections rather than focusing on differences.

So, if you can focus on your similarities in life, rather than why you’re different from someone, it really just opens the door to mutual understanding and acceptance. And I think it’s that simple, quite honestly.

And what we need to do, all of us, is to get better at asking questions and doing better than we have in the past. So, whether that’s… recently, on National Indigenous Peoples Day, we had a speaker that came in. Kierra came in to talk about the Three Sisters Soup and the role that that plays in terms of showing how three different things can come together and make each other stronger. Plus it tied in with our urban gardening curriculum. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the concept of the Three Sisters Soup?

SPREEUWENBERG:

I’m not, no.

TESTANI:

Okay, so what it is, is essentially planting corn, beans and squash alongside each other so that each of them makes the other one stronger. So, the corn is planted for strength and height that the beans can grow around. The beans naturally bring nitrogen to the earth while they climb up the corn. And the squash protects itself and the neighbors by sprawling growth and the prickly stems.

And so the concept of modern farming and agriculture where you just plant all corn are all beans or all squash, it’s not natural. And it’s really this idea of a new way of gardening. And I’m not an expert in this. Again, I’m just learning as I go along. But it’s amazing when you go back to these stories of indigenous people that have lived on these lands for thousands of years, they kind of got it right. And we’re just discovering all this stuff now.

So, that’s the kind of stuff, we tie that into education. And we had our parents come back and say, they’re like, “I have never heard of this before. And my child came home telling me about Three Sisters Soup.” And then I kind of go, “Yeah, we’ve done our job there,” because then it opens their mind to say, “Well, if I’m learning that in the indigenous culture, what do other cultures hold for me? What can I learn about all the different cultures around the world?”

SPREEUWENBERG:

Yeah, that’s cool. And it’s awesome that the children are going home and talking to their families about it. That means that they’re engaged in and the families are getting involved too, which is so cool to hear.

So, let’s talk a little bit more about the family. So, what has families’ reaction been? You talked a little bit about their initial reactions to the outside of play space. What’s their reactions generally to Atelier Kids and your Reggio-inspired philosophy and approach?

TESTANI:

It’s been overwhelmingly positive. And again, it’s not for everyone. But most of the parents that have come through and toured, etc. over the years are really kind of blown away. They kind of breathe a sigh of relief and say, “Wow, this is what I’ve been looking for.”

And I think that with the Reggio philosophy, I’ll just talk a little bit about that because there is a lot of people that are calling themselves Reggio inspired. And I love that; I love that people are taking that first step. But we’re at a point in our journey, a little bit further along, where we really are emulating what they have done in Italy because it’s so similar to what we’re trying to achieve.

And the reason why we’re so different is because we have really broken down, from a management point of view, how to run a Reggio center. And I’ll give you an example: most day care centers will have a director in place, right? And that director is responsible for staffing operations, parent management, bringing new families through the door, ordering toys, all that kind of stuff.

It’s, from a recruitment point of view, when I looked at the job description for the first time in my life, I was like, “There’s no way one person can do this entire job.” It’s like a CEO job with no direct reports. That means not only do you manage everything yourself, you do everything yourself.

But what they do in Italy is, they have added people to the management team. One is a “pedagogista” and one is an “atelierista”. So, the atelierista is really, when you think about languages of learning, children learn three different things. And the arts is one great way to teach children. And arts is not a subject. Arts are how you do things. It’s joy in life.

So, our atelierista, Joan, is phenomenal. She’s on site almost every day. She’s working with the children and the teachers to incorporate these very in-depth projects that they’re working on, or journeys, where children are learning. And that’s an amazing opportunity for everyone. And the stuff that she comes up with, I’m always scratching my head thinking, “Wow, that’s amazing.”

And then Alison, who’s the pedagogista, who’s done a lot of work on our indigenous learnings and reworking our land acknowledgment, working with some key people in the community. She’s focused on making sure that we take the best elements of the Reggio Emilia philosophy. But it’s okay to incorporate some Waldorf; it’s okay to incorporate some Montessori.

The key with creating a pedagogy and a center that when the parents walk through the door, they go, “Wow”, is that fits the community, not the other way around. So for us, we listen to what the community wanted.

And so one of the key things – we talked about the forest school – one of the key things that came back was the urban gardening curriculum. We just did a post on our website where we had kids that don’t like salad, quote unquote, but we grew our own salad and peas in the backyard.

And guess what? They cut the salad. They grew it, they cut it, they seasoned it and they ate it. And we had parents coming back saying, “I cannot believe my kid ate salad.” And that’s just showing them that it’s just engaging them and helping them understand, you don’t just go to Loblaws and get a head of lettuce and have it thrown on your plate.

And then the other key thing that we listen to: with everything that’s happened in the past year, parents are nervous about kindergarten and what it’s going to look like. And we have the stops and starts in the kindergarten, in the public school system and the private school system. But we stayed open the entire time. So, they’re saying, “We don’t want to put ourselves in that situation if there’s a potential shutdown. We know you guys were able to stay open safely.”

So essentially we started a JK/SK [Junior and Senior Kindergarten] program. And we had some great teachers that were on our staff that were able to help us create the program. And we really wanted to make sure that the Reggio-inspired program would dovetail nicely as they go into Grade One after the fact and make sure that they’re ready.

And by instilling a love of learning, by doing a lot of outdoor activity, by showing diversity, by showing that their voices are heard, it’s something that I think is going to prepare them for the future.

SPREEUWENBERG:

Yeah, that’s great. Can you tell our listeners a little bit more about something you talked a little bit about before when we just started the conversation around the Reggio Emilia philosophy and you said, “We don’t necessarily use Reggio. It’s part of our culture, part of our DNA, almost, in terms of the way we do things,” which I think is interesting. How does that also influence, I guess, like, your communications externally, who you decide to work with and how you just operate on more of like a principles level with the center and the programs?

TESTANI:

That’s a really excellent question because everyone we partner with, from our caterer to even partnering with your organization, I think values play as a big part of it. And we can get caught up in labels and titles and I can say, “Oh, I’m Reggio Emilia-based, but you’re not.” But the reality is a lot of people are talking about what I’m talking about. This isn’t something that I came up with. I’ve been influenced by it.

And some of the things that I’ve been influenced by… did you ever see that TED Talk given by Sir Ken Robinson years and years ago?

SPREEUWENBERG:

No, I don’t think so, no.

TESTANI:

As soon as we’re done, you’ve got to get off and watch it. Unfortunately, he passed away last year. But he, in ten minutes – it’s the most TED Talk – in ten minutes encapsulated the challenge we have for educating our children.

And so he doesn’t talk about Reggio Emelia but he’s talking about the same thing, which is allowing children expression. And even adults to say, “You know what, this is the way you think you need to educate someone but we really need to rethink that whole thing. Because guess what? It don’t work no more.”

That was set up one hundred years ago when we were primarily an agrarian society and we were trying to take farmers and have them work in industrialized factories. We’ve gone past that now. So, we need to educate in a different way.

So, values are important. And it’s like when we worked with our caterer and they were really understanding. Even though they were struggling, they were really understanding with what we were going through during the shutdown, just like you did with us. You have a great team, you really supported us. You went and developed new parts of the application to help us with the COVID [19] screening and the [temperature] checks. That shows me that there are other people out there that are like-minded, that are doing the right things for the kids for our future.

SPREEUWENBERG:

Yeah, very cool. You mentioned this Ted X [talk] by Sir Ken Robinson. Is there any other resources you can think of, in terms of growth mindset and continuous learning for our listeners? Maybe that’s a podcast or a book or a blog or something like that?

TESTANI:

I’m going to selfishly and shamelessly promote our blogs and our media. On our website, we have the [Sir Ken Robinson] TED Talk. We have some great Netflix videos. There’s one called The Beginning of Life, which is a four-part series. It will blow people away. If you have a child, you should definitely watch this.

The other thing that I, kicking it oldschool, I have a book on my desk. I don’t even know what year it was released, but it’s called The Visionary Director [A Handbook for Dreaming, Organizing, and Improvising in Your Center]. And it’s by two ladies, Margie Carter and Deb Curtis. A Handbook for Dreaming, Organizing and Improving Your Center.

It is gold. Anyone who runs a daycare should read this. I’ve got an edition on my desk, I refer to it all the time. And it’s about creating the type of center where employees are happy, families are happy, children are thriving and learning. And it’s a dream. I feel like some days I’m in a dream, considering what we’ve created.

And it all started with me stumbling into a Reggio Emelia-inspired daycare at my son’s school. And I walked in and I said to the ladies, “Oh, wow, your class seems really kind of quiet and all the kids seem engaged. You mustn’t have all the children here today.” And they said, “No, no, we’re full.”

And I go, “Oh, okay. Then, how come I can sit here and have a conversation with you and you’re not getting interrupted every three minutes?” She said, “Well, the children are working on their particular journeys. ” And then she said to me, “I’m so much more happier now coming to work than I’ve ever been.” And that’s when it kind of hit me. And I was like, “Okay, they’re doing something here.” And that’s what started me on my journey of the Reggio Emilia philosophy of it.

SPREEUWENBERG:

Love it, that’s an amazing story and sounds like some resources folks should be checking out. If Bernadette’s recommending it, then I can attest that they’re worth checking out. Bernadette, any final words before we wrap up our conversation here today?

TESTANI:

I know that one of the things is that there are a lot of people that are interested in incorporating Reggio-inspired elements into their classroom. And it’s a journey. Don’t be discouraged, it doesn’t happen overnight. You need to get support from the top. So, whether you’re working in a center and you can go to your board of directors or go to the owners and talk to them about it, I would highly recommend that people take that journey and start. It starts with one step.

And I’ve run daycares now for 15 years. Our team right now is so happy and we’ve just come through arguably one of the worst times in our history. And we really came together, we listened to each other. And I did it based on not only what I read in the book under The Visionary Director, but understanding the Reggio philosophy and putting the children at the center of things.

So, once you do that, then the decisions all become really clear. It’s not financial decisions; it’s not things to make life easier for the staff; it’s not to make things easier for the parents, although obviously we want to try to do that. It’s really about advocating for the children. Who is advocating for the child at the end of the day? Someone needs to and we consider ourselves advocating for the children.

So, I’m open to talking to people if they’re interested. This is something that people have been so generous with me with their time, as I started on my journey. I’d like to repay the favor. And I think that it’s important to know that it’s going to take a really long time and a lot of energy and patience, but I believe it’s worth it.

SPREEUWENBERG:

Yeah, some good wisdom there. And if our listeners would like to learn more about Atelier Kids or get in touch with you, Bernadette, remind us what your website is.

TESTANI:

So, it’s a www.AtelierKids.com.

SPREEUWENBERG:

Wonderful. Bernadette, always a pleasure. Thank you so, so much for joining us on the Preschool Podcast today!

TESTANI:

You’re very welcome and happy to always chat with you, Ron!

What is the Reggio approach in pedagogy? This is a deep philosophy. Its principles are followed in kindergartens in Europe, Asia and the USA. The results are very different from the results of education in traditional programs. But first things first.

Contents:

• Origins of the

methodology

• Kindergartens and nurseries: format and specifics
• Child – vessel full
• The role of the teacher in kindergartens of the new format
• What is taught and how children are involved in the process
• Teaching stones, wire and even rubbish
• Space and environment in children’s institutions
• Partnership and communication
• Reporting and evaluation
• Skeptical opinion
• Conclusion

The origins of the methodology

It all started with the story of the Italian teacher and psychologist Loris Malaguzzi. The Italian passionately loved his work, never ceasing to conduct pedagogical research in his native city of Reggio Emilia. He turned out to be not just a school teacher who did not stop teaching children in difficult wartime. Malaguzzi defended a scientific work on the topic of pedagogical work with special children. nine0003

The works of Vygotsky and Montessori inspired the teacher to create a network of children’s institutions, completely new for that time, for children aged 3 to 6 years. These were the first kids who were brought up according to the Malaguzzi method.

Kindergartens and nurseries: format and specificity

Kindergartens according to Malaguzzi differed fundamentally from typical Catholic and private ones in status and funding. These were municipal institutions supported by the state and partly by parents. Interestingly, the size of the parental contribution depended on the family’s income. nine0003

This type of kindergarten was completely new for Italy. Parents enthusiastically met the idea, so there were always not enough places. In order to somehow solve the problem, children were accepted on a competitive basis. Children from difficult families or with disabilities were taken to kindergartens out of competition.

For Malaguzzi and his followers, it was extremely important to give every child the opportunity to receive an education and an adequate upbringing. That is why the financial situation of the family or the physical health of the child did not matter, rather, on the contrary, children from poor and dysfunctional families were accepted in the first place. nine0003

The excitement around Malaguzzi kindergartens inspired him to create institutions for the little ones. So in 1970 the first nursery appeared.

After 21 years, the method of educating the Italian and his supporters according to Newsweek was officially recognized as the best in the world. From that moment on, interest in her did not subside. America, Europe, Asia delved into the study of the foundations of regio-pedagogy. The first institutions with education according to the Malaguzzi method also appeared in Russia.

Today the Reggio Children Foundation is operating in Italy, and an International Center has been established. nine0003

A child is a full vessel

The phenomenon of Malaguzzi pedagogy is in the absence of any special programs and methods. The Italian focuses on the natural abilities and inclinations of each child. He is convinced that children come into this world as polyglots, whole individuals filled with vessels. The task of adults is to reveal the potential, to show the way to self-expression. Each child has his own way, convenient and understandable only to him. There is no single road.

Loris Malaguzzi believed that traditional pedagogy works in the opposite direction. Instead of pushing the child to self-development, adults deprive him of 99 out of 100 languages ​​he was born with.

Pedagogical programs work on the same principle. Children are taught to meet expectations and act within certain limits, encourage stereotypical thinking, but forget about the importance of harmony of body and head.

Children are made into comfortable members of society. They are encouraged for the ability to “love” and “give joy” according to a schedule, for example, on St. Valentine or Christmas, and reinforce stereotypical thinking from early childhood.

The role of the teacher in kindergartens of the new format

Reggio pedagogy is aimed at developing the individual personality of the child. Teachers interact with children, help them open up, teach them not to compare themselves with others and not to try to meet general requirements.

A kindergarten teacher who works according to the Malaguzzi method appreciates and respects every child. He is his mentor and friend.

They do not try to dismiss children’s questions, on the contrary, children are stimulated to ask them, and then they deliberately delay the answer, suggesting they fantasize and come up with their own versions. There is no hierarchical abyss between children and teachers, only equal partnership relations. nine0003

There are also no curricula and supervisory supervision. Reggio pedagogy excludes the equalization of children and any pressure. Each child is individual, respectively, and the keys to the doors of his potential are selected individually, and in no case do they try to break the lock by force.

What is taught and how children are involved in the process

At the heart of the joint study of phenomena: natural and social, everything that a person has worked on. Any situation that goes beyond the scope of regio-pedagogy is not a reason to look for the guilty and blame. This is just an opportunity to explore and reflect. nine0003

An interesting example from Newsweek: “Luka is 4 years old and he was working on an application on the theme of autumn. The boy decided to stick real leaves to the tree (before that, the children themselves collected them on a walk). The teacher watched Luka and as soon as he chose a leaf, asked if he could see the difference between how it looks on one side and the other?” Luka studied the veins on one side with interest, moved on to inspect the texture on the other, and only then decided which one was more suitable for his autumn story. ” nine0003

To work with children in this format, teachers need to constantly improve. Kindergarten teachers practicing regio pedagogy are allocated special time for this. Experts unite, cooperate, share experience and ideas.

Stones, wire and even rubbish teach

Everything that surrounds children helps them to know the world and themselves. Junior schools and kindergartens where Reggio pedagogy is practiced are always special classes. They are designed as visual teaching aids in pictures so that children from childhood are interested in natural phenomena, the world around them, art and technology. nine0003

What is there in the classrooms! In addition to ordinary paints and pencils, you can see:

• clay;
• various types of paper and paperboard;
• tree;
• dry plants and seeds;
• sand;
• metal particles;
• yarn;
• feathers;
• nuts, etc.

It may even be just trash. Followers of regio pedagogy believe that children will learn more by paying attention to the simple things around them than to toys and games. Children and teachers follow the order and “assortment” together. nine0003

Space and environment in children’s institutions

Kindergartens Reggio bear little resemblance to classical kindergartens in the CIS countries. Everything is different, from the square to the menu. The Reggio Gardens are spacious, with large windows and many mirrors. Windows – for permanent observation of the outside world, mirrors – for a deep acquaintance with oneself.

Another difference is the approach to education, trust and interest in the curiosity of children. Kids are allowed to enter the kitchen, help cook for themselves and others. Initiative, improvisation and personal recipes are encouraged. nine0003

There are almost no artificial materials in the decoration of kindergartens. The priority is natural wood.

Rooms for children are cozy and comfortable. In each class there is an opportunity to be alone with yourself or play with friends without disturbing others. The space is divided into zones and planes of several levels:

• houses;
• labyrinths;
• lockers;
• boxes, etc.

Each class has a creative area – studio. Responsible for the zone is an atelier artist. nine0003

It is important that children are not separated from the achievements of progress, they encourage interest in modern technologies. Toddlers are helped to master the principles of operation:

• projectors;
• microscope;
• telescopes;
• laptops, etc.

A typical feature of Reggio Gardens is the “piazza”, a special place to meet and discuss everything that happens in the garden and beyond, plans for the future, including the nearest project. Adults and children participate in the discussion, everyone has an equal right to vote. This tradition helps children learn to listen, plan, express their own opinion. nine0003

Partnerships and fellowship

According to Newsweek, the origins of regio-pedagogy are active community members (mostly women) who were able to create conditions for the education of children, despite the complete devastation after the war. Initially, the parents were at the head of the process, and in order to interest as many families with children and supporters as possible, the windows of the gardens were brought out onto the streets of the city.

These days, parents don’t just leave their children in the care of caregivers in order to get on with their own business as soon as possible. They take part in the life of the kindergarten, attend classes, work on joint projects, expand their knowledge in various areas together with the children, prepare for school with pleasure and enthusiasm. nine0003

Children do not spend all their time in groups. Together with friends and teachers, they go to exhibitions and museums. An absolutely normal practice is a joint excursion with a group to the work of one of the parents of the children.

They do not interrupt or remain silent during class. Children are taught to listen to the opinions of others, enter into a dialogue, explain their own position, build partnerships with each other. To do this, they are carried away by the previously mentioned projects.

Interestingly, projects can be both spontaneous and planned. For example, if a child has come up with an interesting activity for himself, he will be offered to involve other children in the case, or the project is discussed in advance within the framework of the “piazza”. nine0003

Children are also offered to solve practical problems, even if these are everyday non-children’s problems in kindergarten. They can ask the guys for advice, listen to their opinion, try their methods.

The emphasis is not on the result, but on the process and opportunities for development. Children should not try to live up to expectations. They are free to make decisions, so their ideas are bold and bright.

Reporting and evaluation

The ordinary preparatory school has nothing to do with the gardens, where they work according to the method of regio-pedagogy. Children in them are not evaluated and controlled in standard ways. The guys are not tested, they are not certified by points, they are protected from any comparisons with others. Each child’s progress is judged only on the basis of their previous performance. General criteria do not work here. nine0003

The results are documented. It is important for the educator to collect evidence of working with children: photos of classes, drawings, crafts, etc. The material is constantly analyzed, the necessary adjustments are made to the program of work with each child.

The fact of fixing the results is not hidden from children. On the contrary, in this way they are given to understand that everything they do matters, and even if something did not work out now, you can return to it later.

Skeptics’ opinion

The Reggio approach in pedagogy has been criticized and continues to be criticized for non-standard practical exercises and not only. Critics are not sure that the unique experience of the founder, in principle, can be repeated by anyone in real life in our time. Italy in the 60s failed to reproduce something similar, so is it worth it to think that the world will adopt new methods and begin to raise children like the resourceful Italians of today?

In fact, fears, as well as criticism of such preschool education, are not justified. Kindergartens that educate according to the methods of regio-pedagogy already exist and are successfully operating all over the world, including countries in Africa and the United States. nine0003

Yearly research and assistance from allies from the international network Network has a positive effect on the development of the system. Despite the difference in content, mentalities, living conditions, in each kindergarten, teachers are guided by the main principles, including respect and trust in the child, attention to his needs and interests.

Conclusion

A systematic approach within the framework of regio-pedagogy concerns all areas of a child’s development. Children are given freedom of choice, their initiative is supported, wishes are taken into account. This is the uniqueness of the technique. It has a tremendous impact on the development of a small personality. nine0003

Even at preschool age, children learn important things: the ability to act in a team, listen and respect the points of view of others, formulate thoughts and speak out, critical thinking and much more. All these are the skills of an effective person of the 21st century. It is logical to assume that the Reggio approach for modern children is still the only true and promising one.

approach – faith in the limitless possibilities of the child – Family space “Nest”

nine0002 At the heart of the Reggio Approach is a belief in the strength and capabilities of the child and the belief that any activity can be useful and meaningful for the development of children. It is a humanistic optimistic approach to the development and education of children. The main goal in implementing the Reggio approach is to provide a person with as many tools and opportunities as possible, which he can use throughout his life. These can be the skills of a creative approach to knowledge and life in general, the ability to ask questions and look for answers to them, the ability to express one’s opinion and the ability to hear and accept the position of another, the ability to argue one’s position, etc. nine0003

Photo by Olga Vasilyeva

Learn the Reggio approach. Online course

“Give your child opportunities to develop, and you will be surprised how much potential lies in him.”

— LORIS MALAGUZZI

The Reggio Emilia Approach (Reggio Approach) originated in the post-war years of the last century in a small village in northern Italy near the city of Reggio Emilia, after which it got its name. After the war, the inhabitants of this village invested all their strength and resources in the creation and development of a new kindergarten in order to provide their children with a free and decent future. Inspired by the ideas of this community, educator and psychologist Loris Malaguzzi led the creation of kindergartens with a new approach. He became the ideological inspirer and founder of the Reggio Emilia approach, later Loris Malaguzzi opened the Municipal Psychological-Pedagogical Medical Center in Reggio Emilia, became a consultant to the Italian Ministry of Education, founded the National Early Childhood Group and became the creator of the concept of “100 Languages ​​of Children”. In Italy, the Reggio Gardens are municipal and are maintained at the state level. Loris Malagutsi saw his goal as the creation of “a friendly, hardworking, inventive, comfortable, affable school, with the possibility of documenting work, a place of research, knowledge, recognition, reflection, where children, teachers and parents will be happy. ” nine0003

The 100 Languages ​​of Children concept suggests that every child has hundreds and thousands of ways and opportunities to explore, explore and express themselves. The approach and concept have spread all over the world – from the Old to the New World, from the Middle East to Japan. Reggio gardens and centers are only those that are located directly in the region of Reggio Emilia. All other gardens and centers of the world are considered “inspired by the Reggio approach” (Reggio Inspired). The approach is based on several key postulates that define its essence and adherence to which allows us to consider ourselves “inspired by Reggio”. nine0003

“Children are able to develop their own intelligence. The task of an adult is to provide the child with opportunities for development.”

— LORIS MALAGUZZI

1. A child is treated as a strong, knowledgeable, capable person who deserves respect, recognition and attention. Children are born with an indefatigable desire to learn and explore the world and themselves in it, while an adult must provide a safe psychological atmosphere, provide opportunities and a rich environment, and also support the child. nine0003

2. An adult is a colleague, co-author, co-researcher, guide, one who is on the same side with children, supporting and respecting their independence and awareness. This position allows you to establish trusting relationships, to achieve a high level of involvement of both children and adults in the process of learning and creativity, to get more return and effectiveness. “An adult for a child is not a watchman or a magician, but a reliable friend who knows how to disappear and appear in time,” wrote Malaguzzi. nine0003

3. The child develops and corrects his view of the world through communication with other children, parents, adults and his community. Interpersonal and group communication is very important for the formation of correct knowledge and understanding of the world and oneself. Moreover, communication allows children to develop and establish relationships with each other, adjust their behavior, values, etc.

4. The Reggio approach requires a rich and open environment, rich in aesthetic materials with an open purpose. Wednesday is the third teacher. The richness of our experience directly depends on the amount of materials with which we interact. The Reggio environment is dominated by natural quality materials such as wood, cardboard, glass, flowers, wires, fabrics, paper, cones, acorns, shells, etc. Children are offered a lot of quality materials for creativity: clay, dough, watercolor, pastel, tamper, oil paints, crayons, mosaics, canvases. Preference is given to materials with an open purpose, interaction with which requires children to use their own imagination and develop their inner world. nine0003

5. The educational process is based on a spontaneous schedule. Teachers, observing children, follow their interest, developing topics relevant to children into real projects with in-depth research and expansion of knowledge through the study of related topics. Thus, children themselves can control their development and learning.

6. Children should have many ways and means to express themselves (drawing, modeling, experiment, dramatization, music, singing, photography, dance, construction, conversation, etc.). Each person is unique, each type of intelligence predominates, which means that everyone needs their own way of expressing and understanding the world. nine0003

The creators and followers of the Reggio approach in their works and ideas relied, among other things, on the theories of famous scientists and teachers, such as:

• LS Vygotsky’s theory of the zone of proximal development;

• the theory of sensitive periods, the principle “Help me do it myself” and “Wednesday is the third teacher” by Maria Montessori;

• J. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development

• G. Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences and others.