In response to the tragedy of World War II, people from the town Reggio Emilia developed a new model of education. War ought to never happened again. Led by Loris Malaguzzi, a teacher, their idea was to enhance a child's learning through real-life experiences instead of a fixed curriculum so that each child develops a love for discovery, forms a personality of their own and learns to respect others.
Land, money, food and skills for the first preschool were provided by the community. The Reggio Emilia approach is based on the philosophy of an image of a child. All children are viewed full of potential, with an innate sense of curiosity and endless imagination.
They are creative, capable of constructing their own learning and they have a natural interest to explore while they follow their own interests they also stay connected with others. Adults nurture their learning by providing a rich environment and support. Instead of a one-size-fits-all curriculum Reggio Emilia uses a child centered approach and project-based learning projects can emerge anytime, for example during play.
Teachers can observe and create opportunities for new learning at a specific instance for example by opening up new environments, letting children raise thought-provoking questions or by inviting others to collaborate after an intervention. The children take control and progress independently until the project is finished and can be shared with others. Throughout a project children naturally embody the spirit of researchers, risk takers, designers and explorers.
They make hypotheses, try new things, investigate, play and imagine. To progress the explorers raise the questions, the researchers give feedback and the designers demonstrate ideas and prototypes. Lastly they all turn their theories into reality and construct experiments together.
The learning becomes social with endless ways to solve specific problems. To promote the development of creativity teaches step aside and let mistakes happen. The conflicts that can follow nurture their social skills.
Because conflicts teach children to speak, to listen, to argue and to discuss, then learn to accept different opinions and to respect others for who they are. If two kids discuss a problem a third can have an idea and the entire group learns the value of teamwork. Teachers document projects through pictures, videos or written observations.
The learnings become visible in photographs, drawings or sculptures, ideas, quotes and transcripts of conversations are put onto the walls. The children can later revisit their achievements, see projects that were left unfinished and learn that failure is part of the path to progress. They built confidence in their own abilities.
But teachers aren't instructors, instead they are companions in the child's own journey of discovery. They can introduce books, show new tools or offer entirely new perspectives. However they always remain mindful not to take over the constructive learning process knowing that this limits a child's endless imaginations and motivation.
The children are fully in charge and develop a sense of ownership of their own progress, the foundation for a love for lifelong learning. Malaguzzi believed that there are 100 languages children can use to express themselves: they paint, sculpt, drum, whisper and hark they build, listen, speak or sing and dance and they play, which Einstein allegedly said, is the highest form of research. Children learn from adults, other students, the environment which is regarded as the third teacher.
Rich in materials the space is designed to spark curiosity, creation and discovery. Ideally there is an open kitchen and big windows so the children can see what's happening outside, just like at an Italian town square, a piazza, where we can observe the lives of other members of our community. Parents are regarded is the last part of this education.
To deepen their knowledge of a child centered education they are encouraged to learn from and with the teachers and children so when the children come home after school they can continue to be researchers, risk takers and explorers. Malaguzzi once said: "stand aside for a while and leave room for learners, observe carefully what children do and then if you have understood well, perhaps teaching will be different from before". Maybe one day our small researchers and explorers will grow into the big inventors and great explorers.
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