Reggio Emilia Inspired Philosophy

Guiding Principles

Role of the Educator

The central act of adults…is to activate, especially indirectly, the meaning-making competencies of children as a basis of all learning.  They must try to capture the right moments, and then find the right approaches, for bringing together, into a fruitful dialogue, their meanings and interpretations with those of the children”.  Loris Malaguzzi

 Teachers recognizing that “children have the right to a world in which they are respected, and their childhood is valued as a time when they lay down the foundation that will enable them to grow into adults who are creative and critical thinkers and responsible citizens in a democratic society.”   Sue Fraser, “Authentic Childhood”

Educators wear many ‘hats’ in an Early Childhood setting.  In a Reggio-inspired centre, educators are viewed as active partners (co-learners) with children, families, and colleagues.  We strive to be well versed in the art of ‘listening’ to the children; not only taking in what they say, but watching what they do as well. 

We are also co-researchers, and we share our curiosity, excitement and wonder with the children.  This shared experience is how educators are able to ask questions, add materials, set up the environment, or even do research with the children to explore their ideas and theories.  We often need to be translators, as some ideas may need a little more time to digest and process.  Sometimes these ideas need to be discussed and/or debated between the children, educators and their colleagues!

The Image of the Child

“..change from seeing children as empty containers who need to be filled with information to viewing them as active agents who construct their own knowledge from their experiences in the environment.”   Sue Fraser, “Authentic Childhood”

The Image of the Child is one of the foundational principles of a Reggio-inspired program and philosophy.  As educators, we must closely examine what our beliefs are regarding children.  This ‘lens’ is what frames our perspective as we do our work with children and families.  We see children as ‘competent, capable, inventive, and full of ideas’; not just empty vessels waiting for us to fill. 

It’s equally important to take that ‘lens’ and broaden our view with every aspect of the shared time we have with children.  That view includes all parts of the child’s day; how we set up environment, the materials we choose, arrival and departure rituals, mealtimes, rest times, outside, daily routines, our interactions with the children and their families alike.

The Environment as the 3^rd Teacher

“The space we live in has a powerful influence over us, particularly the space we grew up in.”  Sue Fraser  “Authentic Childhood”

In a Reggio-inspired setting, we recognize that the learning environment is considered to be the ‘3^rd Teacher’.  The children’s spaces are meant to be both beautiful and functional; light-filled; and contains interesting open-ended materials for the children to explore.  The environment should allow for both large and small group gatherings; especially when there are opportunities for more focused exploration on a topic. 

This concept also extends to our outdoor spaces; which we view as an extension of the learning environment.  This idea is also known as “bringing the outdoors in, and bringing the indoors out”.

The 100 Languages of Children

The “100 Languages” refers to the multitude of ways in which children express their thoughts and ideas.  We strive to encourage children to create their representations with a variety of media such as Visual Art, Music, Drama, Dance, Manipulative Construction, Loose Parts and many, many more!  We acknowledge that each child has the right to express themselves by accessing intentional, beautiful and thoughtful materials.  It’s also important to note that each child brings a unique perspective, since everyone learns and expresses themselves in different ways.

100 languages

NO WAY. THE HUNDRED IS THERE

The child
is made of one hundred.

The child has
a hundred languages
a hundred hands
a hundred thoughts
a hundred ways of thinking
of playing, of speaking.
A hundred always a hundred
ways of listening
of marveling of loving
a hundred joys
for singing and understanding
a hundred worlds
to discover
a hundred worlds
to invent
a hundred worlds
to dream.
The child has
a hundred languages
(and a hundred hundred hundred more)
but they steal ninety-nine.

The school and the culture
separate the head from the body.

They tell the child:
to think without hands
to do without head
to listen and not to speak
to understand without joy
to love and to marvel
only at Easter and Christmas.

They tell the child:
to discover the world already there
and of the hundred
they steal ninety-nine.

They tell the child:
that work and play
reality and fantasy
science and imagination
sky and earth
reason and dream
are things
that do not belong together.

And thus they tell the child
that the hundred is not there.
The child says:
No way. The hundred is there.

Loris Malaguzzi   (translated by Lella Gandini)