Digging Deeper into Reggio Emilia

Just what is Reggio Emilia?  When researching preschools for Addison, I heard about RE as being "the best of all worlds."  Meaning a sprinkling of a couple of widely regarded different approaches to early childhood education, such as Montessori, developmental, Waldorf, etc.  I never went to visit one (there are not many in our area) because I found a local school that I fell in love with right away that was a perfect fit for Addison.  Looking back at her experience at this school, what I loved about it is similar to why I'm drawn to the RE philosophy.  Addison and her classmates were at the forefront of every decision made.  It is truly a child-centered school, one that respects and honors children, from head to toe.

Here's MY interpretation of what RE boils down to:
1. Children's interests/wonderings DRIVES curriculum
2. Conversation, listening closely, collaboration and intense teacher observation leads to this
3. Artistic expression is a pillar of the philosophy
4. RE environments are aesthetically pleasing, filled with light, inviting and orderly
5. Documentation of learning is displayed in a multitude of ways, which honors each step of the process (traces of the minds of children)
6. Relationships: Family and community involvement is the norm, utilizing the gifts and talents of all

Sounds like a dream world, right?  In American preschools and elementary classrooms, we see bits and pieces of this dream.  Howard Gardner, an American Developmental Psychologist (author of  the theory of Multiple Intelligences) says about the Reggio Emilia philosophy: "Like a flower, you can't take it from one soil and put it in another one.  That never works.  This doesn't mean at all that Americans can't learn a tremendous amount from it, but we have to reinvent it."

The educators at RE have been known to say that RE cannot be duplicated in its' entirety because the approach evolved in a very unique, particular cultural context.  It began in post World War II Italy, as a result of the devastation left behind in the war, and an opportunity for the people of the region to build a "new and different place for our children."  It has a unique beginning, that's for sure! 

My understanding of RE now will most certainly change and grow once I see it in person, where it all began.  I'm looking forward to learning and growing and finding ways to reinvent Reggio Emilia in my own soil.