Reggio Emilia - Italy
Unlike many other macro curriculum initiatives, this particular approach is named after the city from which it originated from. Reggio Emilia is a town in Northern Italy that has a great deal to offer when it comes to the theory and practice of early childhood education.
The town of Reggio Emilia has a long and strong history of resisting social injustice and its alliance with the socialist and communist parties of Italy. However the town and its relevance to early childhood
education began not long after World War Two when several parents petitioned for new schools to be built for their young children that promoted children to be taken seriously and encourage children to gain the necessary collaboration and critical thinking skills to ensure free and democratic society (New, 2009).
The town of Reggio Emilia has a long and strong history of resisting social injustice and its alliance with the socialist and communist parties of Italy. However the town and its relevance to early childhood
education began not long after World War Two when several parents petitioned for new schools to be built for their young children that promoted children to be taken seriously and encourage children to gain the necessary collaboration and critical thinking skills to ensure free and democratic society (New, 2009).
Loris Malaguzzi
The one person most recognised with Reggio Emilia and its
approach to early childhood is Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994). Malaguzzi was born in Reggio Emilia and returned there in 1945 upon hearing that parents were attempting to build their own schools for children, he soon became heavily involved in the project through working alongside those in the preschool and encouraging others to recognise the need of better provision of early childhood education.
Malaguzzi with another important educator, suggested that in early childhood education, a strong relationship between educators and parents
is essential, as well as the need for two teachers in each classroom and
children being grouped by age for a part of the day, and the importance of the environment was also recognised. In 1963 the first community pre-school opened and Malaguzzi continued to propose new ideas and concepts which proved to be very influential made many contributions to early childhood education that would be acknowledged for many years to come (Horgan, 2010).
approach to early childhood is Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994). Malaguzzi was born in Reggio Emilia and returned there in 1945 upon hearing that parents were attempting to build their own schools for children, he soon became heavily involved in the project through working alongside those in the preschool and encouraging others to recognise the need of better provision of early childhood education.
Malaguzzi with another important educator, suggested that in early childhood education, a strong relationship between educators and parents
is essential, as well as the need for two teachers in each classroom and
children being grouped by age for a part of the day, and the importance of the environment was also recognised. In 1963 the first community pre-school opened and Malaguzzi continued to propose new ideas and concepts which proved to be very influential made many contributions to early childhood education that would be acknowledged for many years to come (Horgan, 2010).