Reggio-Emilia Approach
The origin of this program is dated back to post-World War II in Italy. It was during this time, that the Italian government gave each town small amount of money to be used as pleased in order to restore the notion of community. Due to the lack of money, the citizens of a town, Villa Cella, helped build a school. Observing the collective behavior of the citizens, Loris Malaguzzi initiated a learning movement, which would include every member of the community.(Wurm, 2005)
The heart of KinderKollege learning is founded on the principles of collaboration. In our approach, we give the upmost importance to the notion of a strong community. This community is based not only the teachers, but deeply involves the parents and children as well. Through these interrelationships, we ensure that your child receives a wealth of tools necessary in developing ingenuity and creativity. By allowing the active participation of parents, the childis exposed to a continuous learning experience as opposed to a finite one limited to the daycare. We also aid in problems a child might be experiencing at home through the disposal of seminars in which the most effective resolution can be deduced.
Next, we strongly believe that a child’s learning is hindered through the practices of transmission of direct knowledge. The teacher-student role is ineffective because it prevents the child from exploring the depths of their imagination. On the contrary, we encourage the child to learn rudiments through concepts they are intrigued with. For instance, say a child is interested in playing a game such as bowling. It is through the game that the child will retain and apply basic mathematics. This not only makes learning exciting, but also prevents the child from dismissing the education as being trivial.
Wurm, J. (2005). Working In The Reggio Way: A Beginner's Guide For American Teachers: Redleaf Press.
