Children arrive at Early Learning as individuals with their own distinct identity. In Reggio Emilia, the child is understood to be strong, competent, full of resources and the constructor and co-constructor of their own knowledge and understanding. They join with other children and their teachers to create a learning community.
Teachers, coming from a strength-based approach, work to build relationships with children and get to know their motivations and learner profiles. With this base, teachers are then able to design curriculum that is responsive to each child’s needs.
Every day the children and teachers explore learning together through play, projects, visits and excursions, and specialist classes designed to inspire confidence, creativity, curiosity and a love of learning.
Understanding Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia is a city in northern Italy, internationally renowned for its educational approaches in the early years. The Reggio Emilia inspired approach to learning aims to promote children’s learning as individuals within the group. Within a supportive and enriching environment, children think and learn together as they investigate both short and long term projects. Teachers are also ongoing learners, learning alongside children as well as participating in teacher research.
Key aspects of our Reggio Emilia inspired practice are environment, spaces and relations. The learning environments are aesthetically pleasing spaces where children can interact, explore and research together. The spaces are designed to change in response to children’s ongoing project work, but maintain a sense of belonging to the class and the Junior School.
Learning is documented in a variety of ways which allow for teachers and children to revisit, reflect and build on their thinking. These may include photographs, video, physical displays and online communication.
Principles of the Reggio Emilia approach to education include:
- Children are recognised as having rich potential
- Children are listened to and respected
- Children's work is authentic and meaningful to them
- Children's deeper level thinking is encouraged and celebrated
- Children and teachers are both learners
- Children inspire and respect each other and work collaboratively on projects
- Children use many forms of expression to communicate their ideas which are documented for ongoing reflection and planning
- Children, parents and teachers form our community of learners
Geelong College children are spontaneous, playful, energetic, loving, expressive, inquisitive, sensitive, honest, engaging, compassionate, generous, tenacious, free-spirited, curious, observant, clever, joyous, aware, spiritual, trusting, creative, and competent. They are unique.