The Reggio Emilia Philosophy is an advanced and inspirational approach to early childhood education. This philosophy considers the child as strong, competent, and flexible; rich with curiosity and willingness to know. According to Preschool La Canada Flintridge, CA teachers this approach to early childhood education views young children as individuals who are curious about the world and who they are in it. Reggio Emilia approach is based on the belief that every child is unique and has the potential to learn from all that surrounds them.

This educational philosophy has a practical impact on the development of children. This learning system creates a co-learning environment where teachers learn with the kids and work in a lateral relationship as opposed to a hierarchical one. This partnership also intends to involve the parents and the community of each child.

This teaching method was originally started by parents in Reggio Emilia, Italy after the Second World War when there was a requirement of a new and improved education system to teach children. This program emphasizes respect, responsibility, and collaboration with the community. Children are allowed to explore and discover the world around them in a supportive and rich environment. In this education system teachers expose children to a wide variety of educational opportunities that encourage self-expression, communication, logical thinking, and problem-solving.

Preschool La Canada Flintridge, CA teachers suggest you know the four principles of the Reggio Emilia approach if you want to go deeper into the approach. They are as follows :

Emergent Curriculum

In this education system, the curriculum is created around the children’s interests. Curriculum topics are derived after discussing with the students and their families as well as from the things that are known to be interesting to children like a puddle, dinosaur, space, etc. Teachers have their planning sessions where they compare notes and observations to decide which project would be ideal for the children in their class. They also discuss the materials to be used, and the ways to encourage parents and the community to get involved.

In-Depth Project

To do the projects, kids need to have a thorough knowledge of the related concepts and ideas. While children work on the project, teachers act as a facilitator and guide them to decide in which direction they would like to take their research. Teachers help students to have in-depth knowledge about the related concepts so that they can complete their tasks confidently and independently.

Representational development

According to the teachers of Preschool La Canada Flintridge, CA, the Reggio Emilia approach calls for the presentation of new ideas and concepts in various ways like print, art, drama, puppetry, and so on. Children can think of different creative ways to present their projects.

Collaboration

In this approach parents, teachers, students, and the whole community work in collaboration to ensure the cognitive and holistic development of the students. Children work in different groups and collaborate to achieve a common goal. Each child’s voice is heard to encourage an equilibrium between a sense of belonging to the group and a sense of self.