The Reggio Emilia Approach
The celebrated Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education is the philosophy behind Blooming Buds’ educational programs. Hailed as the best pre-schools in the world by Newsweek in 1991, the Reggio Emilia approach has been adopted in USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia and many other countries.
The approach was founded by Loris Malaguzzi, after World War II, in a city in northern Italy, Reggio Emilia. The approach was developed for municipal child-care and education programs serving children below six. With over forty years of experience in infant / toddler and preschool education, it places emphasis on children’s symbolic languages in the context of project-orientated curriculum. The approach views children as competent, resourceful, curious, imaginative, inventive learners who possess a desire to interact and communicate with others. Learning is viewed as a journey, and education as building relationships with people and creating connections between ideas and the environment.
Recognitions & Awards
- Best Top Ten Schools in the World by Newsweek 1991
- Danish Lego Prize 1992
- Kohl Foundation Award 1992
- Hans Christian Anderson Prize 1994
- Mediterranean Association of International Schools Recognition 1994
- Collaborative project between Municipal Preschools and Infant Toddler Centers at Reggio Emilia with the Harvard Graduate School of Education 1997
- Adoption of the Reggio Emilia approach by leading corporations and institutions such as Google and World Bank for their preschool programs
Teaching Approach
- The child as a protagonist, collaborator and communicator
- The curriculum is flexible: it allows the group of children in a class to guide their own learning. It capitalizes on the interest of the children and what they want to find out about that specific topic
- The teacher as a nurturer, guide and researcher who takes into consideration of their class dynamics and guides learning, while embedding the necessary goals and objectives the children need to achieve
- The parents as partners with cooperation between home and school as a pillar of the educational system
- The environment as the third teacher
- Documentation as communication: children document their learning by writing, making drawings, diagrams, maps, graphs, collections and constructions etc. Their works are displayed throughout the classroom, offering a communication platform to revisit and build upon their previous knowledge
Under the Innovative Education Approach, Children are…
- encouraged to be self-directed learners and taught that they play an active role in their acquisition of knowledge
- respected as individuals. As teachers listen to and validate the work of each child in the group, self-esteem and confidence is built while appreciation is paid to the different capabilities and contributions of the group
- provided with endless opportunities to convey themselves in their many languages of expression, while helping them develop positive approaches to earning – such as creativity and in thinking flexibly
- nurtured in an environment that fosters reciprocal relationships between them and the community; as such, children are more receptive to the wisdom and best practices of society, while engendering a sense of selflessness and service