How the Reggio Emilia Approach Views Children
The Reggio Emilia Approach has a distinctive and respectful view of children. Here's how this educational philosophy perceives children and why it’s the approach the teachers and staff at our early childhood education center in Fort Lauderdale believe in:
- Competent and capable: Children are seen as strong, capable, and resilient individuals with inherent potential.
- Active constructors of knowledge: The approach views children as active participants in their own learning, not just passive recipients of information.
- Rich in potential: Every child is believed to have "a hundred languages" or ways of expressing themselves and understanding the world.
- Natural researchers: Children are seen as curious explorers who have a drive to understand their environment and make meaning of their experiences.
- Rights-holders: The Reggio approach emphasizes that children have rights, not just needs. This includes the right to high-quality education and care.
- Unique individuals: Each child is respected as a unique person with their own thoughts, ideas, and pace of development.
- Social learners: Children are viewed as social beings who learn through interaction with peers, adults, and their environment.
- Full of wonder: The approach recognizes and values children's sense of wonder and their ability to be amazed by the world around them.
- Co-creators of culture: Children are seen as active participants in creating and defining the culture of their classroom and community.
- Protagonists: In Reggio-inspired settings, children are the protagonists of their own learning journey, with teachers acting as co-learners and facilitators.
This view of children as competent, curious, and capable individuals forms the foundation of the Reggio Emilia Approach and influences all aspects of its educational practices.