Reggio Emilia is an approach based on children’s ideas, thoughts and observations and was founded by Loris Malaguzzi.

Inspiration within this approach is also taken from some of the great educational theorists of our time:

 Vygotsky
 Dewey
 Piaget
 Bruner

Principals of this approach:
 The child as a protagonist, collaborator and communicator
 The teacher as a partner, nurturer, guide and researcher
 Cooperation as the foundation of the educational system
 The environment as the third’ teacher
 The parent as partner
 Documentation as communication
 Projects to facilitate learning (Can emerge from children’s ideas and/or interests and can be introduced by practitioners knowing what is of interest to children: – shadows/puddles/tall buildings/construction Sites/heavy equipment/nature. Projects should be long enough to develop over time, to discuss new ideas, to revisit and see progress. Should be personal from real experiences and important to the children.)

This approach encourages practitioners to:
 Take time to listen and know what you are listening for
 Listen to each child’s melody and always look for the intent driving a Childs actions and feelings
 Provide space to and time to be alone
 Keep boredom away
 Value the process of thinking
 Ask ‘Why?’ & help children ask ‘why?’
 Question everything
 Seek truth, but realise that there is no one truth
 Accept and value differences
 Shun the stigma associated with a disability
 Look further into the reasons for a child’s behaviour
 Reflect
 Observe, document, interpret
 Wait, watch, respond – do not hurry the child or yourself

The Reggio Emilia Approach emphasises that:
 Children are capable of driving their own learning through their interests
 Children are communicators and communicate in a multitude of ways
 Children are social collaborators who work in groups where everybody is equal and all contributions are valued
 Children are able to lead their own projects, which are not pre-planned but emerge based on the child’s interests…the adult is the mentor and guide
 Children’s thoughts and progression of thinking; is documented in many different ways to show the children’s learning process and make the learning visible
 Children need hands-on discovery learning that allows them to use all their senses and all their languages to learn

Mission Statement
Reggio Emilia Influence

A beautiful poem to summerise the approach.

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.