Investigating Reggio Emilia

The Reggio Emilia region of Northern Italy is justifiably proud of its parmigiano-reggiano cheese and balsamic vinegar, but its best-known export around the world is a child-centered approach to early childhood education. This past January I was fortunate to participate in the Winter Institute in Reggio Emilia, along with educators from around 50 different countries.

The Reggio Emilia approach is an educational philosophy, focused on infant/toddler, preschool, and primary education in Italy, though its methods can be adapted and are now being recommended for any level of schooling. Teacher Loris Malaguzzi started this approach in Reggio Emilia after World War ll. Because of a belief that the early years of development are crucial for children, he and local parents created a program based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment based on the interests of the children.

The Reggio Emilia approach is child-centered and play-based. Importance is placed on the physical environment of the school, the active participation of the parents and community, and the interests of the child. Listening to what a child has to say, valuing their interests and documenting it through writings and photography (often with photos taken by the children themselves) is also very important.

During the week we were able to visit four different schools to see the program in action and similarities between the schools were clearly evident. A common feature in Reggio Emilia schools is the presence of an atelier, a combination of an art studio and a science laboratory, usually guided by an art teacher called an atelierista.

In the schools, every surface is covered with all kinds of objects to explore: (1) every form of natural object one could imagine, and (2) recycled materials to manipulate and place. There is an intriguing emphasis placed on the concepts of light and transparency, evidenced by large interior and exterior windows; light tables for each class; play with web cams, camera microscopes, projectors, and screens; and transparent and opaque collaborative mural-sized artworks.

Many group projects are on display in the schools such as murals made with individual clay figures but process is clearly a greater priority than product. The schools are decorated with students’ work and designed with students in mind. I think having so much of their work on constant display shows children just how much their work is valued.

Most of the schools are very colorful with walls in colors you are not likely to see in the United States: lavender, bright orange, yellow green, and all the colors of the color wheel. I didn’t see any individual desks, just interestingly shaped tables and colorful soft furniture that could easily be moved around by the children. Each infant/toddler and preschool class had an area with fanciful clothing, hats, and accessories to play dress-up. In many of the newer schools, each classroom opens to the outside and delightful places to play such as gazebos and underground tunnels cut into hillsides.

In some infant/toddler schools and preschools the kitchen was at the center of the school and students were involved in preparing and serving the meals. The children’s bathrooms were unisex and often contained toys. At one school I visited, there was a foosball table in the bathroom. At another, there were anatomically correct dolls with different colors of skin. Each child in the infant/toddler schools and preschools had a mattress upon which to sleep after lunch, a practice I wish American schools still followed.

Who wouldn’t want to go to a school like this, no matter what the age? To investigate further, check out the websites of the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance and Reggio Children. Additional resources include The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, edited by Lella Gandini, Carolyn Edwards, and George Forman; Insights and Inspirations from Reggio Emilia: Stories of Teachers and Children from North America and In the Spirit of the Studio: Learning from the Atelier of Reggio Emilia. Davis Publications' (the publisher of SchoolArts Magazine) kindergarten art program is based on the Reggio Emilia approach.