Reggio Emilia approach to education is a teaching philosophy based on Developmentally Appropriate Approach to teaching and learning. It is an approached founded on theories of child development, an observation and assessment of the child’s interest and curiosity about the world around him and his cultural background. A Developmentally Appropriate Practice ensures the wholesome growth of the child and nurtures his socio-emotional, physical and cognitive development. The Reggio approach to education respects the individuality of the child, his strength and capability and innate curiosity about the world around him. The Reggio Emilia curriculum is generated based on the interests of the child, encouraging the child to initiate his own learning in an environment conducive to exploration and discovery.
Reggio Emilia Approach originated in Italy in a small town with the same name. It was started under the leadership of educator Loris Malaguzzi in collaboration with parents and other educators and educationists. This educational model was influenced by many early childhood psychologists and philosophers, such as Piaget, Vygotsky, and Gardner and gave birth to a new community centric and culture inspired centers of education for infants, toddlers and preschoolers in Reggio Emilia.
The Reggio early childhood program is an emergent curriculum based on the emerging interests of the child and keeps evolving with the developing curiosity of the child. The ideas for the curriculum emerge naturally from the questions raised by the child in an environment created to generate spontaneous curiosity and exploratory avenues for the child. Adult child interactions that lead to teachable moments are utilized to optimize the curriculum and draw value...
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...f the individual child by the teacher leading to the wholesome growth of the child. The result is an atmosphere that is developmentally appropriate for adults and children alike.
Bibliography
Garret, R. (2013, July 15). What is Reggio Emilia?. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Reggio_Emilia/
Mercilliott Hewett, V. (n.d.). Examining the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education. Retrieved from http://static.squarespace.com/static/51ed94d0e4b03bd18bdcc998/t/526c8eabe4b0f35a9f0216e3/1382846123076/ExaminingtheReggioEmiliaApproach.pdf
The Reggio Emilia approach to early years education. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/images/ReggioAug06_tcm4-393250.pdf
What is the Reggio Emilia approach?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://childdiscoverycenter.org/non-traditional-classroom/what-is-the-reggio-emilia-approach/
Early childhood education, although constantly evolving, was actually established and practiced as early on as the times of Ancient Greece and Rome. The foundation that early childhood education is based upon is to instill in children the skills needed to succeed later on in life, while making sure young children enjoy their time in schooling. Throughout chapter 3 in the textbook Who Am I in the Lives of Children, the reader is capable of evaluating just how greatly the methods for teaching today’s youth have evolved and changed for the better.
Soler, J., & Miller, L., 2010. The Struggle for Early Childhood Curricula: A comparison of the English Foundation Stage Curriculum, Te Whariki and Reggio Emilia. International Journal of Early Years Education. London: Routledge.
Origin from a city in the north of Italy, the Reggio Emilia approach in Early Childhood Education is adopted by multi-countries over the past decades. This approach has a core philosophy, that children should play a leading role in education. Children are seen as full of knowledge and intelligence, with full capabilities to express themselves if only given the proper ways to do to so. They are protagonists of their own learning and have a say in what topics and problems they will study and research. Teachers provide resources to assistant children’s learning and developing. The curriculum is emergent, meaning the teachers choose topics and projects based on careful listening and observations of their student’s interests, needs and inquiries. Children are encouraged to use materials and media to demonstrate their learning and understanding of a topic or project. Documentations and environment have direct influences in helping children’s learning. Parents and community also play a supportive role in children education (O.E.C.D, 2004).
From the perspective I have at this stage in my journey in the early childhood education field, I would like to share what I have come to value and believe in regards to early learning and care by looking at my philosophy statement. To begin we will look at the statement and highlight three key features and find out why they are important to me, then we will see what they will look like in my practice, and lastly we will examine these ideas closely by looking at where they originated. By taking an in-depth look at my philosophy statement we will better understand the motivation behind my practice which I hope to continue to refine and refresh as I gain more knowledge and experience.
Morrison, G. S. (1976). Chapter 6: Early Childhood Programs APPLYING THEORIES TO PRACTICE. In Early childhood education today (10th ed., pp. 5-31). Columbus, Ohio: Merrill.
The education of children has existed since the beginning of time as parents have taught and molded their children into the young adults they desired them to be. Initial training of children was not in a formal setting, although history would see numerous settings, purposes, and methodological changes. Philosophies of education have also changed through the years as various voices have seemed to grasp the purpose of educating the next generation, thus laying out objectives to reach those goals of teaching children.
Eliason, C. F., Jenkins, L. (2008). A practical guide to early childhood curriculum (8th edition). New
Maria Montessori was born in Italy in 1870 and influenced childcare massively in the 20th century. Montessori believed that children learn best through using their hands. She felt that one of the main factors that contributed to the child’s development was the ‘prepared’ environment. Children learn through exploration and the adult’s role is to create an environment where they can do
Dever, M. & Falconer, R. (2008). Foundations and Change In Early Childhood Education. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (p. 3-4, 12). 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ
There are numerous of reasons why parents should be involved in early childhood education. According to the Constitute of Ireland, Bunreacht na hÉireann (1937) under 42.1 states that parents are the first carer and the primary educator in a child’s l...
One of the most successful and influential early childhood educational strategies that have been used to promote children’s social and cognitive development is scaffolding. Scaffolding generally refers to the process through which adults facilitate children’s learning by enabling them achieve a level of ability beyond the child’s capacity at the time (Scarlett, 2005). This essay will discuss how scaffolding facilitates and supports meaning making in children’s play. First, the essay will briefly introduce the concept of scaffolding and its importance in children’s development. The essay will then explore various early childhood educational theories that support or acknowledge the role played by scaffolding, the view of children as learners capable of constructing meaning and the importance of teacher presence in a play based curriculum. The essay will examine scaffolding through the theoretical lens of the philosophy of Reggio Emilia, the constructivist theories of Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget and Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. The essay will argue that all examined theories support the role of scaffolding in facilitating and supporting meaning making in children’s play and emphasize the importance of teacher presence in all areas of the curriculum, especially in a play based curriculum.
My beliefs and values about early childhood education is based upon understanding that all children are unique individuals who need a caring, nurturing, and secure environment in which to grow and develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically. Children under the age of three are in critical stages of development, it is my belief that a quality child care environment will have a positive impact on a child’s development and make a significant difference in the life of a child and his or her family. My philosophy of early childhood education and the elements I believe are necessary in developing a developmentally appropriate child care environment is rooted in my views and beliefs about experimentalism, progressivism, multiculturalism, and the influence of philosophers such as Dewey, Piaget, Montessori, and Vygotsky. Furthermore, I believe young children will thrive and grow in developmentally appropriate child care programs that possess the following elements: (1) teachers who see themselves as intentional, responsive and respectful facilitators of learning, (2) the ability to build a community of learners, (3) implement an effective curriculum that allow children to explore their natural curiosity about the world.
This Essay will discuss and identify how Aistear’s four themes- well being, identity & belonging, communication and exploring & thinking- are represented in the Montessori and High/Scope pedagogical methods.
Isenberg, J. P., & Jalongo, M. R. (2000). Exploring your role: A practitioner’s introduction to early childhood education. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
There are many benefits to quality early childhood learning one being socialization, which is teaching children to form friendship outside of family by meeting new people in school (Votruba-Drzal & Dearing, 2015). Socialization helps children overcome shyness and gain self-confidence which are essential tools to carry into adulthood. Secondly, children learn cooperation and to work with others. In a learning environment with other children a child learns the concept of sharing, taking turns and perseverance, this is especially important for children who are unused to sharing at home. Another benefit is children gain enthusiasm for learning and value for education at this stage. Learning in early childhood involves play and ensuring the learning process is fun. Having fun while learning fosters a love of learning, reading, and discovery and gives them a new perspective on why education is