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Hannah McCoy
Foundations Early Childhood
Shaw
February 12, 2015
Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education
The Reggio Emilia early childhood education program was brought on shortly after
World War II by parents and Lori Malaguzzi of Reggio Emilia, Italy. This was essentially a
childcare program, where children, parents, and the environments of the classroom were the key
points in the learning approach. Malaguzzi thought of children possessing the skills to learn
through different aspects of cognitive, emotional, and physical growth.
The Reggio Emilia approach believes in many aspects that effect the way children learn.
They believe the teacher is trying to learn about each child, not just what is typical of 3- or 4year-olds. The teacher in Reggio Emilia is the researcher, the data gatherer, the learner, and the
strategic contributor to the child's capacity to learn. The responsibility is on the community of
teachers to provide the contexts for learning. The teacher's role within the Reggio Emilia
approach is complex. Working as co-teachers, the role of the teacher is first and foremost to be
that of a learner alongside the children. The teacher is a teacher-researcher, a resource and guide
as she/he lends expertise to. Within such a teacher-researcher role, educators carefully listen,
observe, and document children's work and the growth of community in their classroom and are
to provoke, co-construct, and stimulate thinking, and children's collaboration with peers.
Teachers are committed to reflection about their own teaching and learning.1 While the teachers
are a huge aspect of learning for children, children are the next step in the process as well.
The child philosophy takes into account, children are little researchers; they can and want to
communicate with the surrounding world. They are individuals with own thoughts, emotions and
expressions. They believe in a listening pedagogy. In Reggio Emilia they believe children have
1 http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Reggio_Emilia/

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an enormous potential and curiosity. Children strive to understand the world, making their own
theories to explain how it functions. Children's knowledge needs to be brought out using their
natural curiosity and not filled in. I Reggio Emilia they believe that each person constructs their
own intelligence from direct interaction with the environment and in social groups. In Reggio
schools, time is not set by the clock, but by the childs needs and interests. Monday doesn't mean
paint day and everybody dont go to the bathroom at the same time. There should be sufficient
time for a child to express, learn, explore, extend and revisit a given project. The quote below by
Malaguzzi who was a former teacher in Reggio sums up how the Italians using this approach
view education with children: "Each child is unique and the protagonist of his or her own
growth. Children desire to acquire knowledge, have much capacity for curiosity and amazement,
and yearn to create relationships with others and communicate. "2
One very interesting aspect of this program would be their use of looping. Looping, the
practice of keeping a teacher and the same group of children together in the same class for at
least two years. Proponents of looping suggest that it: Offers stability and emotional security to
children and allows them to grow at their own rate. Gives teachers a greater opportunity to get to
know children and therefore be able to individualize the program for them. Fosters better social
interactions among children and strong relationships between teachers and families. Allows
children to experience being both the youngest and the oldest in the class as students move on
and new students join the group. Enhances a sense of family and community within the
classroom. 3 While I like this prospect, I also have my doubts of it too, with looping giving the
2 http://www.reggiokids.com/the_reggio_approach.html

3 Beginnings and Beyond: Foundations in Early Childhood Education By: Ann

Miles Gordon and Kathryn Williams Browne 9th Edition

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child an enhanced sense of family within the classroom among his/her fellow students and
teachers, I fear that it may discombobulate their natural adaptation skill to new surroundings and
situations. I wonder if it doesnt take that skill away from them, for years to come when they go
into the Big School, where they will be meeting new teachers, students, and expectations, and
being able to meet them.
Another aspect that I appreciate the most about the program is the family-orientated aspect of
their environment. I really like the fact that it brings the family into the learning process for their
child. One of my biggest concerns as a future teacher is how much are my students parents
willing to be a part of the growing and learning processes that their children are getting in their
education. It is the right of parents to participate actively and with voluntary adherence to the
basic principles in the growth, care, and development of their children who were entrusted to the
public institution. This means no delegating and no alienation. Instead, it confirms the
importance of the presence and the role of the parents, who have always been highly valued in
our institutional tradition. First, we have the school, which makes strong and concerted efforts to
involve the parents in the awareness of how much can be gained from close collaboration with
the families for the greater security and well-being of the children. Parent participation enables a
communication network that leads to fuller and more reciprocal knowledge, as well as to a more
effective, shared search for the best educational methods, content, and values. (Loris Malaguzzi,
Reggio Emilia, 1993)4 As Reggio Emilia is an educational program it is also a child daycare
program. This means that there are different fees that go into having your child enrolled in order
to ensure that they continue to run smoothly. There are many fees including deposits (nonrefundable) to ensure that your child has a spot saved for them, daily fees to pay for our staff and
any needs for the children, teachers, and the wonderful learning experience provided. Different
4 http://www.reggiokids.com/the_reggio_approach.html

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programs have different pricings. The fees involved are to help with every aspect of this program
including the training and qualifications of our staff. The staff at Reggio Emilia Early Learning
Centres are highly qualified, experienced, committed and dedicated to their profession. Our
Director has been in the Early Childhood field for over 25 years and brings with her a wealth of
knowledge and experience. She holds a Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood Education) from
Mitchell College of Advanced Education (now Charles Sturt University) and a Graduate
Diploma in Social Science - Child Development. She has experience in the education and
training of child care educators as well as direct experience of the Reggio Emilia approach. We
are committed to ensuring all children have access to highly skilled and trained educators and all
hold either or are studying a Bachelor of Early Childhood, Diploma in Children's Services or a
Certificate III in Children's Services. All educators hold a First Aid Certificate and many also
have qualifications in Anaphylaxis & Asthma Management, Child Protection, Safe Food
Handling and Safe Hygiene Practices. Educators attend monthly training sessions on a range of
topics to ensure they are able to deliver a high quality program at all times and to extend their
knowledge and expertise. We also offer a Staff Mentoring and Professional Development
Program to ensure career progression and personal development. All staff and educators
employed have undergone a Working with Children Check through the Office of Child
Care. Educators undertake an intensive induction and training program at the commencement of
employment in our centers. New educators are teamed up with a 'buddy' to assist them in the first
few weeks in the centre. 5
Overall, Reggio Emilia can be a great learning experience for infants through to age six. With a
staff full of respectful, life-long learners, the teachers provide a very enriching experience, while
keeping the parents involved in the different areas of learning, the children entering these
5 http://www.reggioemiliaelc.com.au/our_team.html

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programs have a high rate of achievements. I would be happy to join a team similar to the belief
systems that Emilia was brought upon.