"Learning and teaching should not stand on opposite banks and just watch the river flow by; instead, they should embark together on a journey down the water. Through an active, reciprocal exchange, teaching can strengthen learning how to learn."Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994)
Last weekend I was blessed with a trip to the Wonder of Learning Exhibit. This exhibit is a amazing display outlining the outstanding childcare program in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The philosophy of the programs for the last 50 years has captured Early Childhood Educators attention. It is a philosophy that boasts an image of the child as capable and creative. It draws out the natural inquisitiveness of the child and channels it in a manner that allows the child to discover and learn through sheer appreciation of individual learning and group play, and puts it into projects and real life discoveries. Through the experiences of Loris Malaguzzi, the Reggio Emilia philosophy began to take shape.
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| Inspiring works of art in our atelier |
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| Invitations to create |
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| A little Inspiration in the Block Area |
The role of the teacher in the Reggio program is to provide the children with leading questions to encourage the children to continue to test their theories, as well as provide opportunities for further discovery. The teacher also uses tools such as documentation to record the learning process, and uses the documentation to draw the children back to and experience and further the discovery.
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| A pleasing invitation to write, draw, create |
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| A provocation of objects to explore light next to our light box |
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| A free clay table. Another medium to recreate, or inspire with |
In the Reggio program the environment is also looked at as the third teacher, and the environment is set up in such a way that encourages self discovery. Each area of the space is thought out and encourages communication, collaborative play, and problem solving. In addition the space is set up in a way that is calming and inviting. Often Reggio centres do not have commercial, plastic toys, but rather materials for open ended discovery, and REAL items.
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| Beautiful items to promote spontaneous discovery |
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| Children's Art work is respected and valued. |
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| Textures that seem to have no purpose, until someone discovers that they reflect pretty rainbows on the wall! |
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| Natural elements that tell the children that they deserve a calming, reflective and inspiring environment. |
Getting back to the Wonder of Learning Exhibit on display in Vancouver until December, it was a humbling and inspiring experience. I do plan to revisit the exhibit a number of times before it continues on it's world wide tour. There were six fascists to inspire, those being: light, writing, materials, projects, nature, and culture. In addition to those elements, there were opportunities to learn more about the Reggio philosophy and the history and background. There was a LOT to see, and a lot to read! There were a few times that I had to sit down, and just soak it all in, it was a bit overwhelming and perhaps a bit daunting! At one point I choked back tears as I saw the wonder in the children's eyes and the collaboration to test their hypotheses as a group, or as individuals. The children were encouraged and valued enough to create and play as children should. It made me wonder where the program at Perfect Harmony is going. Yes, our program is new, and it's still working out the bugs, but it's coming together. I just want so much more for these children. They have the potential and drive to turn into something wonderful. It takes being more engaged and being ready and prepared to promote an interest and let it fly (literally.... everytime I turn around these children are creating airplanes out of whatever they can get their hands on, so...... project?)
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| An invitation to create with tape. |
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| Each day a child creates a centrepiece for our eating table. This is quickly becoming a very important part of our program. |
The Hundred Languages of Children
The child is made of one hundred.
The child has a hundred languages a hundred hands a hundred thoughts a hundred ways of thinking of playing, of speaking.
A hundred always a hundred ways of listening of marvelling of loving a hundred joys for singing and understanding a hundred worlds to discover a hundred worlds to invent a hundred worlds to dream.
The child has a hundred languages (and a hundred hundred more) but they steal ninety-nine.
The schools and the culture separate the head from the body.
They tell the child: to think without hands to do without head to listen and not to speak to understand without joy to love and to marvel only at Easter and Christmas.
They tell the child: to discover the world already there and of the hundred they steal ninety-nine.
They tell the child: that work and play reality and fantasy science and imagination sky and earth reason and dream are things that do not belong together.
And thus they tell the child that the hundred is not there.
The child says: No way. The hundred is there.
Loris Malaguzzi
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