Reggio emilia preschool chicago: Reggio Emilia Inspired | North Park Elementary School
Reggio Emilia Inspired | North Park Elementary School
The Child
Each child is a unique and important member of our community who comes to school with an abundance of experiences. Preschoolers form relationships, make connections, and seek new experiences to understand their world and their role in the community. Inspired by their own interest to learn and play, children construct knowledge alongside their teachers and classmates as they explore and discover together.
The Parent
Parents, caregivers and families are an integral part of the preschool experience. We view parents as their child’s first and primary teacher. Relationships are built with families through the emphasis on the home and school connection, helping children feel a sense of safety and security at school. Families are encouraged to participate through a variety of opportunities in the classroom and school community. Frequent communication between the “school family” and “home family” ensures a strong partnership to support each child.
The Teacher
Depending on the child, the group, the lesson, or the opportunity for a “teachable moment,” the teachers support the students as curators, guides, resource facilitators, researchers and explorers. The teachers partner with the children to build a caring, supportive community, where each individual is treated with respect and valued as an important contributor to the group.
Documentation
A critical component of the Reggio Approach is communication through documentation. Teachers document the many ways children communicate their thoughts and ideas through the use of photos, videos, dictation and the display of children’s artwork and creations. This visual record allows children to reflect upon their thinking and build upon past ideas. Our visual documentation displays inspire conversation and connection building amongst the parents, visitors and the preschool creators.
The Environment as the Third Teacher
In the Reggio Approach, the environment is referred to as the third teacher, after the parent and classroom teacher.
Our classrooms are thoughtfully and intentionally designed to spark interest and engagement. In these warm and welcoming spaces, natural elements and light are used to create dynamic environments with the flexibility to respond to the needs and interests of the children.
The Hundred Languages of Children
In preschool, children are developing their ability to express themselves using a variety of symbolic languages— art, movement, drawing, painting, music, sculpture, science, nature, dramatic play, yoga, dance, math, building, and writing. As they communicate through these “hundred languages,” children are invited to collaborate, ask questions, explore emotions and examine their own thinking. Our dedicated preschool Atelierista, or art teacher, supports the preschoolers with multiple opportunities to explore materials and techniques on a daily basis.
Community Building
For preschoolers, a sense of community begins at home with their families. They then build relationships with their peers and teachers.
As they become more confident, they are ready to broaden their connections to involve other people in the school community, including their older buddies and adults throughout the building. Through these trusting relationships, children learn to understand the broader community.
Preschool & Childcare Center Serving Chicago, IL
A Curriculum For Excellence Inspired
By The Reggio Emilia Approach
A Blend of Curricula & Creative Learning
Techniques Equip Your Child For Success
A Curriculum For Excellence Inspired
By The Reggio Emilia Approach
The Curriculum And Creative Learning
Techniques Equip Your Child For Success
We Proudly Support Subsidy Families.
A Program That Celebrates Child-Led Learning
The Reggio-inspired approach encourages children to contribute to their learning actively. Play-based activities, combined with a blend of the Creative Curriculum©, Zoophonics®, and Funshine Express®, foster an excellent academic foundation for your little one.
The Reggio Approach Makes
Parents Partners In Learning
An active partnership with parents is crucial in the Reggio-inspired approach and we make it easy for you to stay up to date with your little one’s achievements through a convenient app, where teachers share real-time photos, videos, and milestones.
Free Enrichments That
Encourage Creative Thinking
Enrichments stimulate curiosity, introduce new interests, and encourage active learning. Your child explores poetry, dance, chess, and STEM activities to build on their natural strengths and develop creative thinking skills. Enrichments fast-track your child’s development at no cost to you.
Children Love To Explore
The Green Garden Daily
The Reggio-inspired curriculum emphasizes the importance of a stimulating environment. Your child regularly plays in a fresh garden that piques their curiosity, and they refine their motor skills as they tend to greenery.
Building Practical Skills
For Everyday Life Now
Thanks to a well-rounded curriculum, your child builds practical life skills alongside their academic development. From learning to keep their space tidy to dressing themselves, children navigate new responsibilities while helping one another along the way.
Spanish & Mandarin
Give Your Child An Edge
Professional Mandarin and Spanish teachers introduce new languages, building your child’s capacity for communication. Learning additional languages boosts your child’s cognitive growth as their listening skills sharpen and their memory develops.
How Old Is Your Child?
Infants
6 Weeks – 6 Months
Young Toddlers
7 – 12 months
Older Toddlers
1 – 3 Years
3 – 5 Years
Before & After Care
5 – 12 years
Summer Camp
5 – 12 years
Charming Children Have
Bright Futures!
Get Pricing, Details, & Book A Tour
Reggio Pedagogy, Reggio Emilia Kindergarten
Contents of the article:
While all over the world the Reggio approach is already on the same level with the Waldorf and Montessori schools, in Russia it is only now gaining popularity.
Pedagogy of Reggio Emilia is currently considered one of the most promising development methods. It is used in municipal kindergartens in Italy, Germany and other European countries, as well as in private kindergartens in the USA and Canada.
History of Reggio Pedagogy
Reggio Pedagogy takes its name from the town of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy. It was there that kindergartens with a new approach to children were opened after the Second World War. This technique was developed by psychologist Loris Malaguzzi together with other parents. In their methodology, they absorbed the ideas of the most famous psychologists and teachers of that time: J. Dewey, J. Piaget, L. Vygotsky, D. Bruner, M. Montessori and others. Thus, they tried to concentrate the entire world and the most progressive experience of that time in their approach. Spoiler alert – they did it.
Reggio pedagogy did not arise in this region of Italy by chance. It is famous for its “left” (social) orientation, high level of social activity and citizenship.
This feature of the region leaves a certain mark on regio pedagogy, and in addition to educating a child’s personality, sets the goal of educating in him: democracy, solidarity with other people and social justice.
The role of the teacher
The teacher does not educate, but assists children. He acts as an equal partner who helps to realize the desires and ideas of the child. Therefore, he actively and attentively listens to the child, treats him with respect and strives to help in every possible way. The teacher does not teach children ready-made answers, he encourages them to ask questions themselves and look for their own solutions and answers, to make their own discoveries. The method of projects, which we will discuss below, is also aimed at this.
Developing environment Reggio
In order for the child to be most active, a special rich environment is created for him, which consists of:
- Materials (paints, paper, fabrics, wire, natural materials: plants, sand, clay, flowers, seeds, etc.
) - Items and tools (various toys, construction sets, musical instruments, books, pencils and brushes, buttons, various costumes, magnifying loupes, etc.)
- Devices (microscope, computer, projector, camera, etc.)
) All this contributes to the natural curiosity and creativity of the child.
The space is divided into different zones: secluded corners where children can take a break from the team; large rooms where children hold large-scale events; courtyards where children walk and explore the environment; workshops, etc. Such an environment allows children to fully express themselves: when you want to be alone – just go to the end of the room, if you want to play or explore the world together – come to its center.
Another feature is the “piazza” – a meeting place for all children, where children and adults meet in the morning and discuss what is happening in the kindergarten and outside the kindergarten, what projects are being created now and which ones can be started in the near future (more about projects we’ll talk more).
Such a ritual is very important, as it teaches children to exchange opinions, listen and respect each other.
Reggio Wednesday
The inscription on the plate: What do you see?
Reggio Space
The space in kindergartens according to the Reggio method differs from the usual ones adopted in Russia. First, its area is much larger. Secondly, there are transparent glasses and mirrors so that children can see and study themselves. Thirdly, children can help cook in the kitchen and even bring their own recipes to cook together. Fourthly, plastic is practically not used in objects and decoration, preference is given to natural materials.
Freedom of choice and activity
Based on their interests and mood, children themselves choose what to do with all this wealth of the environment. Freely build the day as you wish and spend it, both independently and together with other children or teachers.
They can express themselves and explore the world in “hundreds of languages” (hundreds of ways).
For example, through modeling, drawing, studying with a magnifying glass, reading books, playing with children, etc. It is the freedom to express oneself in many ways that is key to the Reggio approach. Above you could see the image with stones, on it the children are given ways to observe the stone not only in life holding it in their hand, but also the means to look at it through a magnifying glass, study it through books, draw it, write down their ideas and thoughts, etc. . The child is given “one hundred ways” of knowing and expressing himself.
As Malaguzzi said, “A child has 100 languages to express himself, but 99 are taken away from him by adults, leaving only speech.” Therefore, the main task of an adult is not to forbid children, but to help them use their cognitive and creative abilities, leaving the initiative to the child himself. After all, a child by nature is curious and active from birth, he himself is the creator of his personality and his abilities.
Design work
Design work occupies a special place in regio pedagogy.
The topic of work is determined spontaneously, based on the questions and interests of the children at the moment, and is discussed every morning during the gathering of the whole group. Also, topics can be born in the games and conversations of children, why teachers are watching. The project can last a different time, from a few hours and days to a year. It can stop and resume again, it can be stopped ahead of time. What is important is not so much the final result (the final poster), but the process of cognition and creation itself. The project can include the whole group of children or part of it, but it can also be done alone. It is important that the teacher does not give instructions and tasks to the children, he is included in the project on an equal basis with the children, and from this position he can sometimes unobtrusively control the course of the process.
Here is one example of such projects, which was born from children’s needs, and then received the name “How to draw a lion”.
To answer this question, the children got to know the life of a lion through videos and stories, studied the stone statue of a lion in the square, sculpted and created it from different materials. The final drawing in the form of a poster with a lion was striking in its beauty. To come to such a result, the children had to go through a long path of knowledge and trials.
Learning fixation
Documenting the process is an important part of Reggio. Conversations, discussions, the course of thinking and actions of children are often recorded on photos and videos, and the stages of work are recorded by teachers. The results of the children’s activities with a description of the process and achievements are posted on the stands and in the classrooms themselves, so that children and parents can always return to an interesting topic. Also, for each child, an archive is created with photographs, drawings, crafts, conversation recordings, etc. Such documentation helps to see the work done from the outside, better understand what is happening, and realize the result and its value.
Summary
The Reggio approach is a systematic approach that touches all areas of a child’s development. It gives the child such freedom and choice that no other technique can provide. Reggio pedagogy allows the child to show his curiosity, develops a creative approach to any activity, critical thinking, self-regulation, the ability to work in a team, respect someone else’s position and much more. These are exactly the skills that are most useful for a person in the 21st century. Of all modern methods, we believe that the Reggio approach is the most optimal for the development of the child.
We, the Progressio team, share the same views. You can find a reflection of the Reggio approach in our child development principles for parents.
The Reggio method is fully consistent with the modern development of the child, within the framework of the “Skills of the 21st century”:
Categories: Development methods, Developing
6 Rules of Education in Italian Reggio Pedagogy
In addition to the Waldorf school and Montessori, there are other alternative methods of education.
For example, Italian Reggio pedagogy, which has recently appeared in our country. Irina Dvoretskaya, Head of the Department of Children’s Programs of the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center, told Elena Shmaraeva what features she has.
Reggio Emilia is a city in northern Italy where, after the Second World War, kindergartens were opened, in which preschoolers were brought up and taught, guided by completely new principles. The teacher Loris Malaguzzi became the theorist of the new approach, relying on the methods and ideas of Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Maria Montessori and others. Malaguzzi was of the opinion that every child naturally has “one hundred languages” to express himself, and the task of an adult is to help children use their cognitive abilities. The main methods in Reggio pedagogy are: project-based research activities, a lot of creativity, learning through the environment, and cooperation between teachers and children.
Founder of Reggio Pedagogy Loris Malaguzzi (right)
1.
Respect the child and look him in the eye
the other – it doesn’t matter if it’s a different child, parent, teacher. We say: we must not descend to the child, but rise to him. And this is in the literal and figurative sense.
How often do we look children in the eyes while talking to them? We always look at the child from above, and he looks at us from below. What does he see? Certainly not our eyes. We must be on the same level with the child. Sitting with him on a children’s chair or on the floor, talking, looking into his eyes, eating with him – and when we eat, we must also be on the same level. And when we look at some work of art, we, on the contrary, raise the child to the level of the picture.
2. Explain the rules and ask a question
The child cannot know what you think, cannot guess what you want from him. The main task is to explain that there are rules. In this space there may be some rules, in another space there may be others. We don’t behave in the stadium like we do in the theater – even our clothes are completely different.
And we must convey these rules to the child.
Be sure to explain why you introduced this rule. Why do you want it to be so? Why is it sometimes possible in one class not to raise our hand when there is a discussion, but in another, when there are a lot of people, we have to give some kind of sign before speaking and wait until they ask? By explaining our position, we give the child tools – how to act. He can speak, he can be silent, he can raise his hand, he can wait to be addressed.
But before explaining and broadcasting the rules, and just talking about something, we must ask an open question. What do children already know about this?
Reggio pedagogy took a lot from Lev Vygotsky. He said: we must understand where, at what point on this or that issue the child is now – and we will find out the zone of his proximal development.
Therefore, our task, both teachers and parents, is to ask as many open questions as possible and almost never ask closed questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no”.
Still, we must encourage the child to think, build his own version and express it. Not to be a talking head, but to ask. The interest of the child is lost if we start to say what he already knows.
Irina Dvoretskaya in the children’s center at the Jewish Museum
3. Not “wrong”, but “different”
“The sky is red!” the child says. Do not rush to correct, because it gives motivation to think: can the sky be red at all? This can become an impetus for some kind of research, for expanding knowledge. We shouldn’t stop and say, “No, it doesn’t happen like that!” Should we try together with our child to understand when it can be? Is it possible to see it? In fact, I do not know the color, which the sky cannot be.
One day a child drew an orange hedgehog in kindergarten. And the reaction of the teacher was: “The hedgehog cannot be orange. It is gray, brownish, something else. But not orange.” Coming to a lesson in another group, with children of four and five years old, I decided to ask the question: “Can hedgehogs be orange?” Such silence came first.
.. And it began! I received more than ten versions. One said that the hedgehog was smeared in clay. Others said that the hedgehog might be orange in autumn because the leaves had fallen on it. Still others said: maybe he is all covered in boletus. Someone else said it was a fairy tale hedgehog, “and the artist painted an orange hedgehog because it’s a story about an orange hedgehog.” Phenomenal response! And there was a very interesting answer at the end: “Maybe the hedgehog was allergic to oranges?”
This is such a joy for children! Realize that there is no one right answer. What they don’t tell you: this is right, but this is wrong. Therefore, introduce other terms in communication with children: “This is so, but this is different.” It’s not good, it’s not bad, it’s just different. You think so – your child thinks differently. This gives ground to talk: why does he think so? Why do you think so?
4. Offer a choice and not rush
A whole block in Reggio pedagogy is devoted to the topic of choice, this is a very important thing.
But I again return to the fact that before teaching children to choose, we must be ready for this. We must not rush – this is one of the main rules.
Because in the morning we are in a hurry, we make a sandwich – without asking, we pour tea – without asking. When we ask a question, the choice must be: “Do you want tea with or without lemon? Sweet or not? You will say: it is difficult, we will be late for the garden, we will be late somewhere else. But that’s why there are some rules here too: the smaller the child, the fewer options he has to choose from. But in any case, even a three-year-old child can choose whether he will eat white or black bread. And put a piece of cheese on it yourself. He has a choice today only in bread, but he has it.
Or a selection of clothes. Parents often say in the morning: “We were late because we had a choice.” But you can introduce a rule and choose clothes for a morning walk or kindergarten in the evening. The child can choose her for a long time or not for long – if he chose her from the evening.
And what if the weather changed in the morning, and the child chose a flannel dress? So, you need to help and argue: yes, you can, of course, put it on, but you will be hot. Ask a question: what needs to be done so that you are not hot in this? Maybe put a change of clothes?
The child must always understand: there are no hopeless situations, there is a solution to the problem
He decided to go in this, but he has other clothes in his backpack. The child did not accept your arguments, but he understood that there is some other way. This dress or shirt may lie there, he will not use it, but he knows that there is a solution. And absolutely no negative emotions.
If you stick to the idea that there is always a choice, then it is better not to make portioned food. A child from three years old can easily pour soup from a container that you put on the table with your help. He decides how much and chooses himself – pour broth or thick soup. This is a whole adventure for him: they didn’t pour him soup, as much as his mother saw fit, but he himself! And immediately there is an interest in food.
The older the child, the more situations where he makes a choice. Gradually, we will demand argumentation: “Why did you choose this, tell me?”
Parents always confuse two things: freedom of choice does not mean the absence of boundaries. It will not be easy, but it will be easier for the child later in life. He will know why he does something, why he chooses it.
5. Learn in any situation
There is a principle in Reggio pedagogy: there is no fixed time for gaining knowledge. Here you are sitting at the dinner table. You can ask a question: what do you think this soup is made of? The child has experience, and he can guess. So, it’s orange soup. What can be orange? “Oh, I know, the pumpkin is orange!” But there are no pieces – what did they do with this pumpkin? “Ah, she was ground!” What did they grind? Combine or mixer – and show next time how it’s done.
This gives us some motivation to do projects with the child: answers to the questions we find through research.
For example, you are reading the book Where Did the Sparrow Dine? Where else can you watch a sparrow, where does he actually eat? They didn’t see it on the playground – they went to the forest, to the park. While the sparrow is not visible, but the crow has flown! And we simultaneously learned that the crow eats. Can a sparrow eat the same as a crow? There are questions that the child answers with the help of observation. You can expand your knowledge with the help of a book, show a movie, go to a museum.
I still love this term – a date with creativity. This is not necessarily a date with some high art. You can also go to the bakery! See what kind of rolls there are and think: how are they baked? Maybe go on an excursion to the bakery, or maybe set up a bakery at home with your child.
Often a child receives knowledge that is sorted into categories. Here is mathematics, here is drawing, here is language. In fact, this division should be conditional
For example, starting to learn to play chess, we can start to study the cell, horizontal, vertical, orientation in space: right, left.
If we are talking about the development of speech, then we can study the coordination of the text with the movement, include here creative activity, descriptive, signs of the subject.
When we discuss something, we don’t say whether it’s good or bad, we talk about our personal attitude. “I don’t like autumn.” Why? And why can you love this cold and rainy time? And one of the children says: “Actually, it’s so cool that you can run through the puddles!” And the other argues: “But you will be wet and get sick!”. Then the opponent continues: “But you can dress properly, put on a raincoat and boots!”
And one more important point that we pay attention to in Reggio pedagogy: a child can get information about something not only from an adult. When an adult asks the question, “What do you know about this subject?” – the experience of one of the children already allows him to answer, while others receive knowledge from him, from his peer. Thus, the child learns to process information not only that which the adult says.
And the adult does not stop the child and listens to him.
6. Imagination is more important than reading
For many parents, the main task is to teach reading and counting as soon as possible. In fact, neither I nor you know a single person in our environment who could not do this. But we will find a lot of people around us who do not have the ability to argue, reflect, come up with some projects, I’m not talking about planning them, creating new concepts. Therefore, it seems to me that the main task is the development of creative thinking. We promote the development of design thinking, because in a project, no matter what the subject, you can count, and talk about the features of the subject, and sketch it, and compare.
Fantasizing, imaginative thinking is better developed in us, the younger we are. But then this figurative thinking begins to be crushed by logic. And if the creative principle is not supported, if such development is not given to it, then logic will crush and it is unlikely that we will gain anything in this sense in the future.