Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/dear-reader/5026206/
For many of us in North America, our first exposure to the Reggio Emilia approach came in the form of a Newsweek report in 1991 that shared the story of a different and exceptional way to work with young children. The report touted Reggio Emilia, Italy as a place where “each child’s special qualities are recognized and nurtured.” Since this report, the Reggio approach has grown in popularity and recognition, and many early educators have become enamored and inspired by it in multiple ways.
The Reggio approach in many ways is uniquely Italian. It is steeped in the culture of Italy, with its focus on dialogue, family involvement, and a deep understanding of how children engage in many languages of learning. Because of this, it is impossible to replicate the approach in North America, nor should we try. In fact, a key tenet of the Reggio approach is that culture and context are extremely important and meaningful to the way children learn. Programs must first look at and understand their own context, in order to determine how they will be inspired by the approach. For example, one of the schools in this issue is nature-focused. This is central to who they ...