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Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia Inspiration
A child-led, relationship-driven way of learning that celebrates creativity, curiosity and community.
How Reggio Emilia Shapes Our Practice
At Care for Kids School of Early Learning, our philosophy and values are deeply influenced by the educational principles of Reggio Emilia. Founded by Loris Malaguzzi in the northern Italian town of Reggio Emilia, this approach recognises children as capable, curious and imaginative learners who thrive through exploration and relationships.
We embrace these principles throughout our centres, creating environments and experiences that empower children to express themselves, ask questions and develop a strong sense of identity and belonging.
The Image of the Child
Young children are viewed as strong, capable and rich in resources. They are capable members of society who are born with the ability to question, interpret and understand the world around them. They are not empty vessels waiting to be filled with knowledge but are unique individuals who already have a great deal to offer.
The Environment is the Third Teacher
The Reggio Emilia environments are open spaces which are intentionally planned by educators to ensure every corner is ever evolving to encourage children to delve deeper into their interests. The environments encourage explorations, communication and collaboration. They are a vibrant, flexible space which is rich in choices and provides dynamic opportunities for learning as individuals and as part of a group. The environments are cared for by both the children and educators.
Parents, Children and Educators as Partners in Learning
Children, educators and parents are viewed as three equal components in the educational process. Parents are encouraged to be active contributors to their child’s learning within the early education setting. Educators, children and parents work in partnership and collaboration to co- construct children’s learning.
Learning is Visible
Learning is made visible through carefully displaying and documenting children’s thoughts and progression of thinking in many different ways – photographs, transcripts of thoughts and visual representation. Adults and children reflect on prior experiences, listen to each other’s ideas, theories and understanding and make decisions together about future learning paths. When documentation is revisited and assessed the processes children use and learning paths they take become evident.
The Hundred Languages of Children
“The Hundred Languages of Children” is a metaphor for the potential of children. The belief is that children use many different ways to show their understanding and express their thoughts and creativity. A hundred different ways of thinking, of discovering, of learning, through drawing, dance and movement, painting and pretend play. Each of these “Hundred Languages” must be valued and nurtured.
