Working in the Reggio Way

The Reggio Way

Worked with Jacqueline Cadena and Brielyn Dowling

Are you a student or teacher in the United States? Are you tired of going over the same standards every year? Have you had enough of being taught the boring way that provides no life long growth? 

What if I told you that there is a way that could put the students interest at the center. A way that engages the entire community to come together and produce a life long learning and growing experience. Well, if that relates to you then lets go take a trip to Reggio Emilia in Italy to dive deeper in working the Reggio way!

Diving deeper into the chapters…

What is the Reggio Way? 

In the introduction and chapter one of Working the Reggio Way by Julianne Wurm, we learned about the programs of Reggio Emilia, Italy. These programs are the best early childhood education schools in the world. After the damage that World War II caused, the Italian government gave each town a small amount of money to use how they would like. Villa Cella, outside the center of Reggio Emilia, decided to build a school (brick by brick) with this money instead of a community center like most other towns did. 

Reggio has inspired educators around the world to work the Reggio-inspired ways. Every year groups from Europe, South America, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand tour the Reggio schools. Bringing different cultures and people together.  

Julianne had to go to Italy to see for herself what the Reggio schools were like and when she got there she was amazed at how much information she did not know. 

When she got back to the U.S. she began teaching the Reggio approach but she realized that teachers could not get inside the Italian way of thinking. The U.S. has always been used to look down on their students. However, more recently the U.S. culture is shifting to focus more on the children and to celebrate them. There is still part of our society that sees children as weak and in need of protection. The American culture as a whole has a lot to learn from the Reggio way.

Mara Davoli said that the first impression of a school means everything. At Pablo Neruda school their entryway is beautifully filled with the children's work, and with pictures of the teachers. It wasn't regular children's work though, like the primary colors or children's handprints, it was documentation of the children's work using their own words. This entryway immediately told people entering, that children are respected here and taken seriously. 

Children in Reggio have access to the bathroom without adult supervision. The bathrooms were made specifically for children because the sinks are the children's height and so are the mirrors. It's clear who the bathroom is for and the demonstration on the children's worth. 

The author did a great job at having this book be interactive and having the reader write down comments to reflect and to better grasp the Reggio approach. 

The Reggio Space 

Chapter two focuses on how to manage the space within a classroom. The first part encouraged American educators to create a current floor plan of their classroom space as it is right now. This is to help reflect and to begin brainstorming and to spark creativity. 

Educators should constantly be asking questions as to the relevance of each specific detail placed in the classroom space, if there are enough options, possibilities, room for exploration and values being represented.

In Reggio, all schools are different. Some are in old houses, others are in more recent constructions. However, each school has the following elements: Atelier, kitchen, group meeting space that might double as the lunchroom/rest area, and an entryway. Each classroom has the following elements: a construction area, an art area (a mini-atelier or tables that double as something else), house play/dress up, reading/library area, tables for games, and bulletin boards. 

The Reggio approach focuses on using the space to express the underlying view of the child that drives the program. In the US, the bathrooms are overlooked and are considered one of the most neglected spaces in school. In Reggio Emilia, the bathrooms are well-manicured spaces that facilitate connections and relationship building among children. 

In Italian the word environment becomes ambiente, a better word in English would be referred to ambience. The environment is to be seen as the setting in which children create their worlds and stories. It sets the stage for childrens living at school, as the primary aesthetic experience. It is important to always be reflecting on how you can represent the view of the child within the classroom space. Some examples are: what the students deserve, need, the different spaces inside and outside, do they feel comfortable and independent, how do they feel when they arrive and come into the classroom? etc. 

Four main points that arose from the observations at Reggio schools include; environment as the third teacher, continuity & change, public vs private space, and care & cleaning.

The Reggio Time 

Chapter three focuses on how to manage time effectively and how to create scheduling in a Reggio approach. 

Here is an example of the components of the Reggio schedule: drop off, assembly, project time, lunch, rest, snack/free play, and pick up. Drop off is seen as a pleasant and informal time of day. Parents chat with teachers and get to play for a while with their kids before leaving. 

Assembly is the heart of the educational project in Reggio Emilia. It has a consistent routine, it gives shape to the day, and a time to engage in discussion. They take this time to lead up to the educational project. They focus on the students interest and separate the groups based on what they are interested in. 

  For project time, the students go anywhere to work. They manage their own interests. Discussions and reflections about what they are doing are always happening. They have a brief meeting to reconnect before going to lunch. 

Lunch is a traditional Italian meal with a first and second course. They have tablecloths and napkins. All students drink bottled water and assist with setting up and cleaning up. The older kids help serve food to classmates while the younger kids help pick up trash and take plates to the clean up cart. 

They have resting time after lunch, some take naps or just simply relax. Then they have a snack and time for free play. Pick up begins around four in the afternoon. 

Four main points that were observed about the Reggio approach to time include: the Italian cultural approach to time, the use of “wait time” in Reggio schools, the need to allow time for children to make their own connections, and the sense of the individual as part of the group. 

The Reggio Progetazzione

The heart of the curriculum is Progetazzione. This concerns the development of students’ interests into a project. The project itself includes a broader way of thinking and working. The invisible structures in place are related to the reggiano view of the child and vision of education. The role of school and education is also based on these ideas. Children engage in projects by pursuing their interests and curiosities. There is no clear vision of the end result at the beginning because there is not enough information about the child and their ideas. Knowledge-building is a group process and does not proceed linearly. 

The components of Reggio’s invisible structure are 4 types of projects: foundational, environmental, daily life, and self-managed. They are based on what Reggio believes children have the right to explore. 

Their framework is called intento progettuale (intended projects). It is a document containing topics and themes all the children will learn about in a given year. Teachers begin conversations with an observation or honest question. They guide the conversation with open-ended questions and never answer questions directly. Teachers also reflect back what children say. Wait time between subjects can last hours or days!

The Reggio Documentation

Documenting students’ work is essential for the benefit of all children and adults involved. Teachers gather evidence and artifacts of what happens in the classroom. Documentation is a gathering process and physical collection. It is also a reflection and analysis of that collection. Finally, it is a presentation of the collection which is visible to all. 

The documentation process begins with handwritten or recorded observation. This is the foundation of the process. Teachers must capture what actually happens without trying to analyze as it is happening. An observation tool is used to indicate children’s actions in the passage of time. 

Documenting children’s work captures a memory of their daily life. Discoveries about the child can be made when comparing and contrasting their experiences. These documents share information about the teachers as well. 

Reggio Emilia has 4 main types of documentation: everyday life, products of Progettazione, works in progress, and  Intento Progettuale. 

Reggio Families

“We need to cultivate … an atmosphere of reciprocal help and socialization. Implicit in this is a decisive response to a child’s need to feel whole. Feeling whole is a biological and cultural necessity for the child (and also for the adult).It is a vital state of well-being.”

- Loris Malaguzzi 

Family is truly the basis of the Italian culture. There is a very strong sense of belonging and connection. The family ties are very important. In society, the families are valued and respected by each other. This is no difference in the Reggio Emilia schools.

Parent participation is extremely encouraged and practiced at Reggio. There are three categories that parents can be involved into the classroom:

1. Habitual Opportunities 

• Class meetings (3 times a year)
• Holiday parties 
• End of the year party (consengo)
• Parent discussion evenings 
• Drop off/pick up
• Writing seminars 
• Writing and publication of school newspaper 
• Building implements for class (light tables, mirror triangles, construction platforms)

2. Work Evenings 

• Cooking 
• Material prep for classes 
• Decorating and preparation for events 
• Creation of arts and books 

3. Special Events 

• Plays 
• Musicals
• Dances 
• Fundraisers 
• Community initiatives 

“If we view children as competent beings who deserve the support of their families, then we will make it our purpose to create opportunities that are inviting and enjoyable for all families to come to school”

                                                                                                                                            (Wurm 136). 

What We Learned

This book taught us that culture has a significant impact on the type of education children receive. Reggio’s deep roots in Italian culture contribute to their positive view of children and education. This has resulted in positive impacts on their schools and communities. The book made a point to contrast this with American culture and how its negative views of children and education negatively impact teaching practices, as well as their schools and communities.

We also learned different ways to structure the classroom and different ways to make the children feel valued and included. It is important for schools to focus on the students and their interests. By creating an environment surrounding the students, this allows for more students to be creative and share their interests. 

We learned different ways of creating an effective classroom schedule. One of the most important things to consider is organization of time. The book offered various examples of activities as well.

Space and environment was a big takeaway from this book because Reggio focuses on strictly student centered learning. They made sure the school was made and designed for children. The classrooms in Reggio looked like students were the only ones occupying the space. These schools want students to use their voices and creativity when learning at their own pace. The students here are not forced to do anything they do not want to do. The freedom these students have at such a young age is amazing, they are allowed to go to the bathroom whenever they want, alone. Most schools in the U.S. require students to sign out before using the restroom or need a hall pass in order to go as well. Ambiance is a major component of the environment.

What am I still Wondering About?

1. The Reggio Approach has enlightened us in many ways yet there are still some questions that we are wondering about. For example, the Reggio Approach focuses more on preschool and elementary schools. What about the higher levels of education? In Reggio, do they have their own high schools and college curriculum? If so, what would it look like? Perhaps the Reggio Approach will only be effective with the younger ages. 
2. It seems that Reggio does not focus on classroom management so how do they implement the behavior expectations? How do they approach a situation when the students are not connecting? 
3. The Reggio Approach also appears to have very well prepared teachers but what does that process of preparation look like? We wonder if Reggio believes in professional development and what that would look like in practice. 
4. One last thought we were wondering about is in relation to the students. The reading goes into detail about the community, the teachers, the classroom, but what about the students themselves? It would be interesting to dive deeper into how the students feel about the Reggio Approach and if they actually enjoy it or if it's just simply the teaching environment they are used to?

Connections to My Own Life Experiences

I have had a variety of experiences in the educational field. I have worked with children from the toddler ages all the way up to the middle school age. I am very fortunate to have had many different experiences working with children in different cultures as well. I have been able to work with public and private organizations of educating children in the Latino community such as Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil. Yet, even with all of my experiences, I still have not seen anything like the Reggio Approach at first hand. The Reggio approach seems to be a concept very unique to Italian culture. I have seen nothing like it here in the US. Ever since I first started learning about Reggio, I began to shift my way of thinking on how I view and engage within the classroom. This learning approach will help me focus more on the image of the child, connecting with them and their families. To think of education as a life long learning experience that goes beyond the four walls of the “ordinary” classroom.

For The Future…

This book has given many examples of how to implement the Reggio way into classrooms. With this information we will be able to implement a balance between embracing the individual and the community.                                                                                         

Having student centered learning is important to help students be creative and enjoy what they are learning. We will be able to establish more of a personal relationship with students. Shifting our focus more on how they, the students, respond to the learning and what they are more interested in. 

It is important to view the children in a more positive lens. Viewing them as their own person, as humans. Not simply shoving material and standards at them and expecting them to take it all in as robots. This leads to us using the Reggio way as a light on questioning whether or not standards are essential. 

In the American education system which we are highly familiar with, standards are set in stone and every lesson and activity done in class is based around the standards. In Reggio, we learned that they do not focus on standards which is a concept we will gladly shape into our practice. By not focusing on the standards we will have the ability and beneficial factor of focusing on the student which is the entire reasoning behind teaching.    

 

Students take in information differently than their peers. Since everyone learns differently, establishing a more personal relationship with students is so important and something we will do as educators to focus on how they respond to the learning and to better our teaching skills. 

By developing those personal relationships, we are opening the doors for students to be more open with their learning journey and trust you as their teacher. This also shows students that they are being treated as their own person instead of just being a part of a class. This is good for academic success and improvement. We will always view our students in a positive light and enjoy every moment of the teaching and learning process.

Sources:

Wurm, J. P., & Genishi, C. (2005). Working in the Reggio Way: A Beginner’s Guide for American Teachers (Illustrated). Redleaf Press.