Foundations of Reggio Emilia Philosophy

Only days following the end of World War II the people of a small town, Villa Cella outside of Reggio Emilia decided to take on the huge visionary task of creating a school from the sale of abandoned war tanks and trucks. Loris Malaguzzi played a central role in the schools development. Today these school are known worldwide and claimed to be some of, if not the best preschools in the world. 

The guiding principles of these schools are as follows:

Each child is viewed as strong, capable and filled with the resources and capacity to learn. This is the basis for how a teacher enters the classroom and guides each child throughout their learning. The role of the teacher is to be a guide, resource and support for each child. Each day they are learning alongside the child. All teachers of the Reggio Emilia schools take on different roles but still work collaboratively, as a community. Without one it would not be possible. 

Another incredibly important aspect of the Reggio Emilia schools is the role of the environment and the focus on aesthetics. The environment is seen as a third teacher and can be manipulated and set up in specific and purposeful ways to promote learning and gain particular outcomes. Incredible planning and thought is put into the appearance and arrangement of the daily classroom. 

Finally the role of observation and documentation are key components to understanding the Reggio schools. Work samples, documents, video, photographs and note taking are collected on a daily basis. This data is analyzed, discussed and used as the basis for how to proceed for each child as an individual and the classroom as a whole. An elaborate and beautiful portfolio is compiled for each child documenting their growth and learning over time.