What is a Reggio Emilia classroom environment like?

The Reggio Emilia classroom is very welcoming and aesthetically pleasing. Teachers draw inspiration from the community, their students’ cultures, nature, and fill the room with natural, colorful, and useful materials – from musical instruments to seashells.

What did you notice about the classroom environment using the Reggio approach?

A Reggio inspired classroom is a nontraditional learning environment where there are no assigned seats. Children have easy access to supplies and learning material, and are consistently inspired and encouraged to direct their own learning.

What is the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education?

The Reggio Emilia philosophy values the child as central to their own learning, not simply an empty vessel waiting to be filled with knowledge. Children are able to pursue their own interests and revisit and build upon ideas at their own pace. You may have heard of something called the ‘100 languages of children’.

How do you apply the Reggio Emilia approach to the classroom?

Here are some key points:

  1. Provide knowledge, and help guide your students.
  2. Be a co-learner in their discovery.
  3. Listen, observe, document, and reflect.
  4. Provide stimulation of discovery through dialogue.
  5. Encourage your students to wonder and think.
  6. Develop students’ own questions and questioning skills.

How can educators ensure that the environment acts as the third teacher?

Reusing, recycling, rethinking and repurposing of resources, furniture and equipment promotes an awareness of sustainable practices. This provides opportunities for children to problem solve and be creative in ways that develop their respect for the environment and thoughtful use of limited natural resources.

What makes the Reggio Emilia program different from traditional preschool programs?

Unlike traditional elementary schools where the curriculum is extremely structured, a Reggio Emilia curriculum is flexible, hands-on, and largely interest-based. This approach allows children to guide their own learning experiences, based on their passions, interests, thoughts, and observations.

How the environment can be used as a third teacher?

The Environment as the Third Teacher The layout of the environment promotes relationships, communication, collaboration, and exploration through play. Materials are thoughtfully added to the environment to promote creativity, thinking and problem solving skills, questions, experimentation and open-ended play.

What does the best learning environment look like for preschoolers?

A preschool room should have more open space, collaborative activities, and stations or areas of interest. Social interaction between children gives them access to different perspectives while playing and gives them the opportunity to learn to interact.