Much care and consideration is placed into every space the children occupy. In the Reggio Emilia philosophy of learning, the environment is considered  the 3rd teacher. This means the physical space around the children should look inviting, inspire curiosity, challenge their thinking, and reflect their ongoing learning processes. Each classroom has a mini-atelier with various loose parts and quality art materials such as paint, glue, markers, clay, play dough, and various other art materials that are readily available to the children . By allowing children full access to materials, we are conveying to the children that they are trustworthy and capable. Reggio children do not clamor when they see a light table full of rocks, pebbles, shells, paints, glue, markers and paper.

The children come to calmly use everything purposefully because materials have always been within their reach.

As the children explore the classroom, every area is carefully planned to offer opportunities to think, construct, create and challenge them. There are many provocations or ‘invitations’ that supports the interaction and engagement of the children with each other and with their environment on their own terms and at times without adult mediation. Our provocations are areas that are carefully set up to invite the children to delve deeper upon existing knowledge of a project. A provocation can also be a teacher designed to inspire engaged exploration of a chosen topic.

The Reggio Emilia Philosophy believes that children are most engaged when they are interested in a topic of study and the children should be actively engaged in making decisions about their education.

Without a pre-determined lesson plan, the day is open to start a new project or continue exploring ongoing projects.

Projects are created based on what the teacher observe the children/child is interested in, topics the children discuss, or extensions of an ongoing project. The start of a project is like the truck of a tree. As the children learn and have experiences the project can branch into other topics. Projects can last for 1 day or for 1 month and can involve the whole class or a few children. There can be different projects going on at the same time. The children’s interest dictates the project subject and academic content is infused into these projects by the teacher.

In the Reggio Philosophy, the teacher largely takes a supportive role versus a directive role in the child’s learning. Children are involved in chosing the content of what they want to learn and the teachers have academic goals within that content. The teacher places immense value on the interest of the child and then presents materials, books, real life experiences, ect to enrich the learning and create the best possible experience to fully engage and learn about the topic. Throughout a project, teachers help guide students to make different decisions or carry out their plans but we are careful not to take over… the projects must remain rooted in their thinking: both individual and collaborative.  

When a child asks you, “Why is there a moon?”, don’t reply with a scientific answer. Ask him, “What do you think?”. He will understand that you are telling him, “You have your own mind and your own interpretation and your ideas are important to me.” then you and he can look for the answers, sharing the wonder, curiosity, pain – everything. It is not the answers that are most important, it is the process – that you and he searched together. – Carlina Rinaldi, Director of the Reggio Emilia Pre-schools

Probably the most well known aspect of the Reggio Emilia approach is the strong belief in the “100 languages” children use to communicate and learn. Essentially, “100 languages” symbolizes the infinite ways children express their knowledge, emo­tions, ideas, learning, etc and infinite ways children learn. Art is a major vehicle for this expression. We encourage children to translate their thinking, emotions, and ideas thru art. This process requires higher order thinking and evaluation. This approach gives the teachers many ways to evaluate the knowledge and thinking process of the children.

We believe that children deserve the opportunity to use all their senses when learning – smelling, tasting, hearing, seeing, touching and eventually creating. Real life experiences are a cornerstone of the Reggio Emilia Philosophy. Children must have an authentic avenue to apply concepts they are learning and they must use all their senses to truly understand what they are learning. It is during the experience of real life learning that childhood thrives.

Our children marvel at a hatching butterfly

Our children go to the top of a downtown high rise to see a real skyline

Our children go to the beach to make observations and collect data

Our children cook in restaurant kitchens

Our children live their learning

As the children are working and playing, the teachers take notes of the children’s remarks and discussions, ways they manipulate materials, knowledge they have, and what challenges them. With this information, teachers brainstorm with each other, the Director, and the Think Tank Atelieristas to devise the emergent curriculum for the project.

As a project emerges and progresses, the teachers carefully display the work of the project. This documentation allows for the children’s learning to become visible.

The pictures, writings, drawings, and creations that done our walls all speak for the children. Documentation allows for several aspects of the project work to be visible: the direction of the work, the connection, the thought processes, the explorations, the search for answers.

The involvement of the parents is crucial to the Reggio Emilia Philosophy. Parental involvement offers many aspects of enrichment. The child sees that the parent places value on their efforts at school. Children are very excited when they bring in something from home to contribute to projects and this fuels their efforts. Parents are seen as resources with their own areas of expertise and passion. Parents are welcome to share their knowledge with the classrooms if they chose. When this happens, the children’s horizons instantly expand.