Reggio Emilia is a city in northern Italy. There, they have developed an educational philosophy and approach that shows great respect for children. Reggio Emilia's educational philosophy is a democratic stance that preschool and school should be a democratic practice for both children and young people as well as for the surrounding community. The Reggio Emilia Institute has been in Stockholm since 1993. We offer training, courses, materials, guidance, and educational development through various projects and educational documentation, among other things.
Reggio Emilia's educational philosophy is a democratic stance that preschool should be a democratic practice for both children and the surrounding community. In Reggio Emilia, children are seen as competent and important members of society. Listening, documentation, and reflection are some of the hallmarks of this philosophy, as is viewing diversity as an important value.
The municipal preschools in Reggio Emilia recognized early on the educational importance of the environment and materials. They saw them as active and changeable, and created piazzas (indoor squares) early on to promote interaction. In the early 1970s, they also began building studios for creative materials and establishing a new role, the atelierista, to nurture artistic and aesthetic creativity. At the same time, they began to examine different materials very closely – and to view and talk about the environment as an educator.
In Reggio Emilia, a tool has been developed called pedagogical documentation, which enables the continuous development of pedagogical work, and "progettazione," which is a project-oriented approach that gives children and students the opportunity to immerse themselves in their exploration. It can be said that pedagogical documentation and "progettazione" are mutually dependent on each other.
"The Hundred Languages" – based on a poem by Loris Malaguzzi in which he talks about children's many different ways of expressing themselves and the importance of allowing children to use and connect them – is probably the part of Reggio Emilia's educational philosophy that has made it most famous around the world. Children must be allowed to express themselves through pictures, dance, mathematics, theater, clay, music, and much more.
Aesthetic creation is an important part of learning in Reggio Emilia. Every municipal preschool has a studio where children have ample opportunity to create and explore together with the studio artist and teachers.
In Reggio Emilia, there is talk of the importance of building a family alliance with the children's families around the learning of the child and the children's groups. At the same time, the importance of distinguishing between the roles of the home and the school is emphasized. Not least because each family's right to their own way of life is recognized. In Sweden, many preschools and schools in dialogue with Reggio Emilia have also reconsidered their view of children's families, moving towards seeing them as important partners.
