|  Inspriration
from Reggio Emilia
The following tenets
represent
our interpretation and adaptation of what we have learned over
the years, through much research and the various conferences and
workshops we have attended. Our school is not a “Reggio” school
as the Reggio Schools are in Italy, which represent their community,
their families and their children. Our program is inspired
by and indebted to the schools of Reggio Emilia Italy, but
they
represent
our community, families, children and teachers--and we are
quite proud of it.
For more information about the schools of Reggio Emilia see:
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/poptopics/reggio.html
Contents
Our Image of the
Child
Every child is an inventor, an explorer and a dreamer. A
child’s
school is a place to continue the learning and growing
he or she has begun at home. It is a place where a
child’s
potential can be discovered and extended in a group
setting. It is a place
where the individual child can grow and shine so as
to make the group stronger.
This is a different way of seeing the child than we,
as teachers, have often been taught to do. We are often
asked
to find
the problems or deficits a child brings, and we are
then asked to
fix them, “this
child has speech problems,” “this child has social
issues.” Here, however, we look to find the gifts,
talents and passions each child brings to the program
and then share
them with the larger community. By doing this, we believe
that we are
all stronger and more confident and capable learners
and that we all thrive.
Before the school year begins, teachers visit the children
and families in their homes to understand who the child
is in his or her
most important
learning environment and with his or her first and most
important teachers – their
parents. We come not to find if all the children can
write their names, or if all the children can cut with
scissors – but
to find out who the child is, what do they love to
do, what interests them, what makes them comfortable
or excited?
We can then bring this information
back to the larger community of families and teachers.
The Role of the Teacher
The teacher's role is to listen carefully to the children, to
create a warm, loving, stimulating and exciting environment,
where
children feel
free to take risks and to discover what amazes them.
As teachers, we want to learn what each child's theories are, so
we can find ways to extend
their
learning through their natural interests. We help
children negotiate and problem solve. And we help find the fits
and talents of others to make the child's
social experience one that values everyone and creates
a community.
Our teachers are researchers as well as guides, mentors,
and nurturers. They seek to understand both the individual
child
as well as the
community of children. Teachers can often be seen with
pads of paper and cameras, recording the words and
actions of
the children
to better understand what, how and why they do what
they do.
The Environment
 The classroom is a place for learning and living. It
is a place to share our stories, to play, to ask questions,
to
experiment
and to laugh. Foothills School provides a large, beautiful,
dynamic environment that changes in appearance and
structure as the personality
of the class develops. Creative materials are plentiful
to allow children to express their thoughts, creativity,
ideas
and theories.
The history of each school year is documented on the
walls. Pictures and descriptions of the processes children
go through
to create
their own meaning decorate the school and remind all
of us of our work.
Careful attention goes in to every corner of the space.
We seek to make it a beautiful classroom that tells
children that their
education is important and valuable. We have a variety
of
materials that allow children to compare and contrast.
The space itself
becomes a teacher, because it is designed and arranged
to provoke thought
and questions. Several drums can be found in the music
studio--all
different, but similar. Items that reflect light are
placed in the window. Mailboxes with symbols that the
children
have chosen
sit in the writing area so that children can communicate
with each other using visual symbols. This is an environment
that
lets children
be in charge of their learning and shows them that
adults think they are capable of great things.
The Negotiated Curriculum through Documentation
Individual play and work time are an important part
of every day, providing children needed opportunities
to explore
and feel comfortable
within the classroom community. Small and large group
projects grow out of the interests of the children and evolve
from
group discussion and interest. Projects grow out of
the interests and questions posed by members of the
community–-sometimes teachers,
sometimes children, sometimes family members. The projects
may last for a few days or a few months depending on
the children’s
interest and questions.
We document the children’s
work and play, listening closely to the words and discussions
of the children.
We watch them work to understand what they are interested
in and
to find their cognitive knots --new problems
to be solved. We seek to understand their theories
about
the
world around them.
It is from here that we take a next step.
A good example is two children playing with dinosaurs.
We might assume that these two children have a keen
interest
in dinosaurs,
but if we listen closely and watch their play, we may
find that their interest is actually in power, or family
relationship
and
not in dinosaurs at all.
Planning takes place from day-to-day, from week-to-week as questions arise and discoveries are made. Documentation
drives
the curriculum
so that the curriculum is authentic and represents
the
32 children that live in the space, not some idea of
what 32
three-to-five
year-old children should do.
Expression
in Many Languages
 Pre-literate children are capable thinkers, able to
represent their thoughts and to remember and revisit
learning using
many languages.
Early Learners at Foothills draw, sculpt, paint, dance,
speak and create in order to understand and reflect
on new learning.
They
also investigate their own theories, extending their
own thinking processes through interaction with their
classroom
teachers,
their art and music teachers, other parents, and other
children in the
classroom.
It is through these many languages of expression that
adults have the opportunity to truly understand the
work of children.
We will
often have children express their ideas through a new
language in order to find out what they understand.
A child may draw
a bird, and we see that they know that a bird has a
beak, and wings. When
they dance or move like a bird, we can see that they
understand what it means to fly.
Parents’ Right
of Participation
Parents, as well as teachers and children, are a vital
part of the learning community and the life of this
school. We
envision a school where parents participate alongside
teachers in team
planning
sessions, participate in the classroom as co-learners
with their children and the teachers, and participate
in work
sessions, collecting
or generating materials for exploration in class. School
should be an extension of home, not a separate entity.
By being involved
in the school, parents can supply the necessary history
about their children that helps teachers make their
lives at school
meaningful.
Collaboration and a Community of Learners
Collaboration is a mindset for all participants in
the program – children,
teachers and parents. We encourage the idea of working
and learning together. Social construction of knowledge is
a central element
of the curriculum in the program. We believe that people
learn best when their ideas are shared, challenged, disagreed
with
and acknowledged.
For adults, parent meetings throughout the month are set
aside for group discussion and curriculum meetings. Collaboration
among teachers
and other parents encourages everyone to share ideas
and
concerns. All the adults involved in the school are invited
to come with
open minds and a willingness to hear and respect other
points of view.
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