Description:

Carla Rinaldi discusses the formation of the Reggio Emilia approach to child care.

...

The Reggio Emilia philosophy is focused on infants, toddlers and preschool education. It was founded by Loris Malaguzzi and the parents of the villages around Reggio Emilia in Italy after World War II.

To rebuild their city and community after the War, the citizens of Reggio Emilia identified that children were key to their future and created a new approach to teaching them. A program based on the principles of respect, responsibilty, and community was developed. It involved a child-centred curriculum based on the interests of the chidlren themselves. Chldren were encouraged to explore and discover, in a supportive and enriching environment.

The principles of the educational project

The early childhood development principles advanced in the city of Reggio Emilia in Italy are recognised for their development benefits globally. Their approach is based on twelve fundamental values. These are:

• The image of the child
• The hundred languages of children
• Participation
• Listening
• Learning as a process of individual and group construction
• Educational research
• Educational documentation
• Progettazione
• Organisation
• Environment, spaces and relations
• Professional development
• Assessment