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The Seedling BLOG

The Forum of Ideas Virtual Fair: Reggio

  • Posted by Victoria Hackett
  • Categories The Seedling BLOG
  • Date October 9, 2015
  • Comments 20 comments

The Forum of Ideas Virtual Fair

As Natural Teachers it is important to become familiar with the most notable child development theorists and/or philosophies. This practice is designed to strengthen your professional identity as a Natural Teacher.

The Assignment: You are eligible to win a million dollar grant to create your own school or childcare center. Explore the child development theorists and educational philosophies from the Forum of Ideas Virtual Fair. ( Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, and Montessori) Reflect and discover how important developmental theorists are in creating your own philosophy of education as a Natural Teacher.

Loris Malaguzzi & The Reggio Emilia Approach

WHO: The Reggio Emilia Approach is an innovative educational philosophy focused on prescho0l and primary education. It was developed after World War II by a teacher, Loris Malaguzzi and parents in the Villages around Reggio Emilia in Italy.

WHAT: The Reggio Emilia approach grew out of a movement toward progressive and cooperative early childhood education. It is not a method of teaching with training colleges that teach this formula. Reggio Emilia is an inspired approach based on a set of Core Values.

HOW: These Core Values are the Foundation of the The Reggio Inspired Approach that Loris Malaguzzi founded.

Reggio Core Values:

1. Children are capable of constructing their own learning. The child is an active participant in learning.

2. Children form an understanding of themselves and their place in the world through interacting with others.

3. Children are communicators.

4. The environment is the third teacher.

5. The adult is a mentor and guide. The teacher, parent and child are collaborating in the process of learning.

6. An emphasis on documenting children’s thought and making learning visible.

WHERE: The Reggio Emilia Inspired Approach has spread worldwide since its development in the 1940’s. The Reggio-Inspired approach can be found in preschools, kindergartens, elementary school and homeschool setttings. Natural Teachers are now infusing these Core Values into their Outdoor Classrooms.

WHEN: Every Reggio Inspired program is different. Although programs share the same Core Values, the outcome is always different. This fact embraces the truth that all teachers, communities, students and schools are different. This is a good thing.

REFLECTION: Begin now and explore how these Reggio-Inspired Core Values can be incorporated into your Outdoor Classroom. Leave a comment below and share your reflections.

Additional Resources: 

  • The Reggio Alliance
  • A CNN Report on Reggio Emilia
  • This video was writting my Lois Maliguzzi: A Hundred Languages
author avatar
Victoria Hackett

ABOUT VICTORIA:
My mission is for every child in every school to have access to an Outdoor Classroom. Therefore, I inspire educators to teach outdoors and lead an on-line virtual community of Natural Teachers all over the world to create their own Outdoor Classroom story.

Previous post

5 Joyful Discoveries from My Morning in the Garden
October 9, 2015

Next post

The Forum of Ideas Virtual Fair: Montessori
October 10, 2015

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    20 Comments

  1. atelieristaerin
    November 24, 2018
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    “Nothing without joy” is one of my favorite teaching beliefs and was said by Reggio founder Loris Malaguzzi. I often remind myself of this quote when lessons are just ‘not going MY way’. The process over the product is something I 100% believe in but quite often forget. Are the children happy and having fun? If yes, then everything is going well! I love the Reggio approach. I love the idea of the environment as the third teacher, especially the outdoor environment. What a perfect place to exapnd on the childs interests! I bring documentation into my classroom with the students and their parents. Again, process over the product! Recalling old lessons and discussing them with the students truly helps them remember and communicate. This approach seems to work very well in an outdoor classroom for these reasons.

    • Victoria Hackett
      November 25, 2018
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      Fascinating the read how we need to remind ourselves as teachers when lessons don’t go “our” way. Taking a pause and stepping back and is essential. Love Reggio too.

  2. jenhynds57
    August 9, 2018
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    I like the idea of the enviroment being the third teacher. I also think it will be very helpful documenting the child’s thoughts. As I will be homeschooling my special needs child, I will have to figure out the interacting with others part more.

    • Victoria Hackett
      August 9, 2018
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      I never feel alone when out in nature. If we are still enough, nature can often provide so many jewels.

  3. Jill Malin
    February 18, 2016
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    The Reggio approach seems to be a perfect match for the outdoor classroom. I can’t wait to learn more specifics, but am immediately drawn to the concept that the environment is the third teacher. By providing interesting materials in our outdoor classrooms and having areas where bugs, birds etc are visible for observation and training the adults in the classroom to ask leading questions rather than “provide answers” we can go a long way towards realizing these great concepts.

  4. jeanne
    November 19, 2015
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    The Reggio Approach has been of great interest to me for awhile now. I feel it keeps alive for the child the joy and wonder of learning. As I begin to dream and plan my own outdoor classroom, the Core Values will be very important. I love the idea of using Reggio in an outdoor classroom.

    • Victoria Hackett
      November 19, 2015
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      I love Reggio too and learning more and more about how the Inspired Reggio Approach fits beautifully with Outdoor Classrooms. You will be seeing more and more of this in our Outdoor Classrooms e-courses!

  5. Juleah Ober
    October 15, 2015
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    I strongly agree that children learn through teachers, parents and especially their environment.

  6. Deirdre Kerrigan
    October 15, 2015
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    I strongly believe in his values and ways to teach with the combination of parents in the journey. why because this way the parents dont elianated them selfsfrom there children and participated in those wonderfull lifes that are just begining the journey of life.Those young students or aprentice will be our future and i will love to see them become great people to do good and create a better world with the knowledge that we are passing to this young children .I believe this is the better option against the problems that sociaty has right now.

  7. Brianna LeBlanc
    October 15, 2015
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    In my outdoor classroom, I would split the children up into groups and have each group go to a different center I had set up for them to learn about themselves and the environment around them.

  8. Kylee Murdock
    October 15, 2015
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    The Reggio Emilia approach encourages children to learn through their environment. I think it is a great way for children to learn and understand themselves more. I would love to be able to incorporate this method into my classroom by having them do a projects outdoors.

  9. Sarah Beatty
    October 15, 2015
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    The Reggio Emilia approach helps understand why its so important for kids to have time outside. Like the article says the environment is a third teacher. It helps them get a better understanding of themselves and their place in this world. In my outdoor classroom, I would allow time for the kids to explore on their own (knowing the area is safe).

  10. casandra johnson
    October 15, 2015
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    Reggio core values state the environment is the third teacher. In order from kids to learn the environment needs to be safe and child friendly. I will incorporate this into my outdoor classroom by allowing the children to figure some things out on their own. Another core value is Children form an understanding of themselves and their place in the world through interacting with others. I will incorporate this into my outdoor classroom by encouraging ways a child could gain understanding of themselves.

  11. Sarah Spencer
    October 15, 2015
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    The Reggio Emilia Approach has 5 different core values, that shows the different ways children will be learning. The core values are used in many schools and in different ways. All communities will use the values but children will be learning them differently. It shows that if you set children on the right path they will be able to learn for themselves. Children will be able to learn from their mistakes and take it from there.

  12. Sabrina Cadiero
    October 14, 2015
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    A collaborative art project based on the interests of the children could be incorporated into an Outdoor Classroom using Reggio-Inspired Core values. The teacher would act as a mentor as everyone collaborates and works together. The teacher could document what is going on and collect data to review and use to expand the children’s learning.

  13. Tyler eramo
    October 13, 2015
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    In my outdoor classroom with the Reggio theory I would have a group project and assign everyone in the group part. This would incorporate that the kids have an understanding of themselves and things around them. It would need to work together to create the group project

  14. Jan Plourde
    October 11, 2015
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    So happy to see this here! Thank you.

    • Morgan Burrell
      October 13, 2015
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      The Reggio Emilia Approach is an innovative educational philosphy focused on preschool and primary education. This is not a method of teaching with training colleges that teach this foormula it is based on a set of core values. I think the Reggio Emilia is very important and it allows children to be the active part of learning where the children are the communicators which is very important to help keep the interest of the children.

      • Shelley Grove
        October 23, 2015
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        I only have my class three mornings/week and the space is used for a different class the other two days. What a dream it would be to have space for one class to start a project that is child-directed and continue to work on it for a month or more. There are so many ideas in young children and they don’t often get the opportunity to carry them out. Sometimes I provide my students with materials and a challenge. Oftentimes I step back and watch what they come up with for ideas and how they work together.

        • Victoria Hackett
          October 23, 2015
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          I love how you step back adn watch what the kids come up with. I often am reminded that they are some of our best teachers!

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