The Key Components of the Reggio Emilia Approach:
Collaboration:
•Working together at every level through collaboration between teachers, children, parents and the community.
•The relationship between teachers is vital to the overall vitality of the classroom environment. It is comparable to the concentric circles created by throwing a stone in the water. It can be felt in all aspects of the class: the teachers, children, staff and parents will all be affected positively or negatively based on your personal interactions and attitudes.
•Collaboration with students is an important part of classroom planning. Students should be consulted on all levels: inquiry outlines, classroom layout and creative planning.
•Interaction with parents is vital. The creation of a class website is a good way to communicate their child’s development and show classroom inquiries. Parents should feel free to visit the classroom and open bonds of communication are essential.
•Working together at every level through collaboration between teachers, children, parents and the community.
•The relationship between teachers is vital to the overall vitality of the classroom environment. It is comparable to the concentric circles created by throwing a stone in the water. It can be felt in all aspects of the class: the teachers, children, staff and parents will all be affected positively or negatively based on your personal interactions and attitudes.
•Collaboration with students is an important part of classroom planning. Students should be consulted on all levels: inquiry outlines, classroom layout and creative planning.
•Interaction with parents is vital. The creation of a class website is a good way to communicate their child’s development and show classroom inquiries. Parents should feel free to visit the classroom and open bonds of communication are essential.
The Image of the Child:
•The child is seen as competent, inventive and full of ideas.
•The child is seen as a “producer” rather than a “consumer”.
•Children with disabilities are provided with an education that enables them to reach their full potential.
Focus on the “ability”.
•Celebrate diversity among students and highlight cultural rituals and festivities. (i.e. Chinese New Year)
•The child is seen as competent, inventive and full of ideas.
•The child is seen as a “producer” rather than a “consumer”.
•Children with disabilities are provided with an education that enables them to reach their full potential.
Focus on the “ability”.
•Celebrate diversity among students and highlight cultural rituals and festivities. (i.e. Chinese New Year)
The Environment as 3rd Educator:
•Every part of the classroom should serve a purpose.
•Documentation should be displayed on the walls or portfolios and easily accessible by both students and parents. •Identify the values at the core of your classroom and build upon these ideas. (Family, God, Respect and Environment)
•Bring the outdoors inside.
•The environment should be planned in collaboration with the children.
•Light is very important and should be used in playful ways (light table, glass jars, mirrors…)
•The environment should be flexible and easily changeable based on the students ever changing needs and inquiries.
•Every part of the classroom should serve a purpose.
•Documentation should be displayed on the walls or portfolios and easily accessible by both students and parents. •Identify the values at the core of your classroom and build upon these ideas. (Family, God, Respect and Environment)
•Bring the outdoors inside.
•The environment should be planned in collaboration with the children.
•Light is very important and should be used in playful ways (light table, glass jars, mirrors…)
•The environment should be flexible and easily changeable based on the students ever changing needs and inquiries.
Relationships:
•Seeing the relationship in the physical layout of the room and the way objects interact with one another. (Mirrors at the block center so students can see themselves at work and their creations come to life.)
•Social and emotional interactions of the students, parents and teachers. Creating a sense of belonging is fundamental. For the program to be a success everyone must be included and feel important.
•Seeing the relationship in the physical layout of the room and the way objects interact with one another. (Mirrors at the block center so students can see themselves at work and their creations come to life.)
•Social and emotional interactions of the students, parents and teachers. Creating a sense of belonging is fundamental. For the program to be a success everyone must be included and feel important.
Transparency:
•As mentioned, light should infuse all aspects of the classroom (light tables, mirrors, glass jars…).
•Transparency also refers to the openness to ideas and theories from other parts of the world and in the availability of information for parents/visitors.
•As mentioned, light should infuse all aspects of the classroom (light tables, mirrors, glass jars…).
•Transparency also refers to the openness to ideas and theories from other parts of the world and in the availability of information for parents/visitors.
Documentation:
•Documentation is the most important way of demonstrating transparency in action. Visitors are able to see all aspects of the classroom based on documentation (planning, participation, teacher scaffolding, evaluation…)
•Documentation makes it possible for reciprocal relationships and co-construction of curriculum to occur. (Teachers learn more about students’ individual needs and are better able to plan and respond based on their individual needs and interests.)
•Documentation is the most important way of demonstrating transparency in action. Visitors are able to see all aspects of the classroom based on documentation (planning, participation, teacher scaffolding, evaluation…)
•Documentation makes it possible for reciprocal relationships and co-construction of curriculum to occur. (Teachers learn more about students’ individual needs and are better able to plan and respond based on their individual needs and interests.)
Provocation:
•Teachers ask questions and engage children in discussion to determine child’s thinking process. Some considerations: establish close relationship with child, be genuinely interested, listen attentively, slow down discourse, provide mixed media for self-expression, probe, scaffold by providing missing vocabulary, encourage thinking, and accept “mistakes”.
•Sometimes a teacher needs to help students keep “focus” of their goals. By providing meaningful questions, a teacher can help keep a group of students “on track”. (i.e. What will happen if you put the telephone in the river?”)
•Teachers ask questions and engage children in discussion to determine child’s thinking process. Some considerations: establish close relationship with child, be genuinely interested, listen attentively, slow down discourse, provide mixed media for self-expression, probe, scaffold by providing missing vocabulary, encourage thinking, and accept “mistakes”.
•Sometimes a teacher needs to help students keep “focus” of their goals. By providing meaningful questions, a teacher can help keep a group of students “on track”. (i.e. What will happen if you put the telephone in the river?”)
The 100 Languages of Children:
•As Howard Gardner expanded our understanding of multiple intelligences, the Reggio Emilia classroom increases our understanding of how children use graphic, verbal, literate, mathematical, symbolic and imaginative play in making meaning of the world around them.
•Provide provocation in varied circumstances to encourage expression and understanding. (i.e. I wonder…)
•Provide a message center in your classroom to encourage communication between students and teachers.
•Help foster a relationship with nature by providing natural objects in various classroom centers.
•Use a variety of materials to encourage the development of mathematical ideas (old calendars, tally sheets…)
•As Howard Gardner expanded our understanding of multiple intelligences, the Reggio Emilia classroom increases our understanding of how children use graphic, verbal, literate, mathematical, symbolic and imaginative play in making meaning of the world around them.
•Provide provocation in varied circumstances to encourage expression and understanding. (i.e. I wonder…)
•Provide a message center in your classroom to encourage communication between students and teachers.
•Help foster a relationship with nature by providing natural objects in various classroom centers.
•Use a variety of materials to encourage the development of mathematical ideas (old calendars, tally sheets…)