Reggio Emilia Approach In Education

In public schools teachers are seen as instructors that dictate every aspect of the classroom, Reggio Emilia is much different. The approach focuses on teachers being co-learners with the children. Reggio Emilia values “listening, openness and recognition of others”(Hertzog, 2007) teachers do not directly give children answers when they ask a question; instead they try to have a discussion among the entire class to figure out the answer as a team. Teachers are also expected to become a team with parents for children’s learning. Parents are heavily involved in their children’s educational growth; in order to accomplish these teachers must create relationships with parents. Many projects that are completed in Reggio Emilia schooling are introduced
The environment is so fundamental to young children because it demonstrates that knowledge can come from anywhere, “young children can perceive and use space to create meaning”(Ellis & Wilson, N.D). Teachers carefully construct the classroom in order to make the room welcoming as well as functional, it is important that there is balance between both. If a classroom is artfully decorated but not practical to learn in it defeats the purpose of being a classroom. Findings have supported the classroom being implemented as a third teacher, “Creating an environment where the space is designed to encourage and foster choices, autonomy, curiosity, problem solving and exploration in the process of learning which leads to children understanding themselves in relation to their surroundings” (Hall, 2013). The classroom is meant to create curiosity as well as discussion, teachers implement “provocations” which are used to spark interest. An example of a provocation is a colorful object in a clear container; this container could also have a flashlight to demonstrate the reflection of light. When children experiment with this it makes learning more interactive by creating a multisensory approach, “children come to care for their surroundings as well as see them in unexpected ways, which becomes part of a planned approach to curriculum and evaluation that is organized”(Ellis & Wilson, N.D). Early learners are able to discuss with each other what they think, and explain why. This discussion can accumulate multiple viewpoints allowing for every child to see things in multiple ways, creating a diverse