Imagine a class where children can choose their favorite topic for the project. A class where children get to dance, play the role of a freedom fighter, or participate in their own learning. That’s exactly what defines the Reggio Emilia education approach.
Reggio Emilia is a renowned education philosophy that focuses on early childhood education. The philosophy is derived from the educator named Loris Malaguzzi. Malaguzzi has made significant contributions to understanding the developmental needs of children at a young age only to incorporate the learnings in the education approach. Reggio Emilia approach helps teachers form a strong relationship with each student thereby strengthening the bond and creating a community at large.
As education lays emphasis on creativity and autonomy, children are encouraged to choose their fields of interest including drama, painting, or other forms of art. The educational approach helps students develop critical thinking skills, logical reasoning, and verbal communication through reflective teaching methods.
In this article, we will discuss quotes by famous educationist Loris Malaguzzi and significant contributors to the Reggio Emilia approach. Quotes help students and teachers understand and decode the essence of the approach comprehensively.
Helpful quotes about Reggio Emilia approach
Reggio Emilia’s education approach is directed towards types of project-based learning, art integration, and documentation of the learning process. As you move ahead to explore the significant aspects of this approach, quotes here help you investigate the purpose, features, and benefits of the Reggio Emilia approach.
1. “Learning and teaching should not stand on opposite banks and just watch the river flow by; instead, they should embark together on a journey down the water. Through an active, reciprocal exchange, teaching can strengthen learning and how to learn.” – Loris Malaguzzi
2. “Our task is to help children communicate with the world using all their potential, strengths, and languages, and to overcome any obstacle presented by our culture.” – Unknown
3. “The child has a hundred languages, a hundred hands, a hundred thoughts, a hundred ways of thinking, of playing, of speaking.” – Loris Malaguzzi
4. “Children are active constructors of knowledge. They are not empty vessels waiting to be filled; they are already full of curiosity and ideas.” – Alison Gopnik
5. “Teachers should not just teach what they know. They should also know what they teach.” – Lee Shulman
6. “The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations, and the richer their experiences.” – Loris Malaguzzi
7. “It is the listening that makes it possible to speak, the thinking that makes it possible to understand, the doing that makes it possible to discover.” – Loris Malaguzzi
8. “Creativity seems to emerge from multiple experiences, coupled with a well-supported development of personal resources, including a sense of freedom to venture beyond the known.” – Loris Malaguzzi
9. “The richness of the possible makes the present all the more precious.” – Loris Malaguzzi
10. “The environment should act as an aquarium which reflects the ideas, ethics, attitudes, and culture of the people who live in it.” – Loris Malaguzzi
11. “The Reggio Emilia approach celebrates diversity and values the multiple languages and forms of expression that children use to learn and communicate.” -Unknown
12. “The Reggio Emilia approach is an invitation to learn together, to collaborate with children, to see them as co-constructors of knowledge.” – Carla Rinaldi
13. “The Reggio Emilia approach challenges us to view children as competent and capable learners, worthy of respect and trust.” – Peter Moss
14.”Reggio Emilia is not just a place; it is a way of thinking about education, a philosophy that values the rights and potentials of every child.” – Carlina Rinaldi
15. “Documentation in Reggio Emilia is not just a record-keeping process; it is a means of understanding and respecting the child’s learning journey.” – Lilian Katz
16. “Reggio Emilia schools are places of wonder and joy, where children’s ideas and interests are at the center of the learning experience.” – Sylvia Chard
17. “Reggio Emilia reminds us that the most meaningful learning often happens through play, exploration, and social interaction.” – Mary Jane Moran
18. “The Reggio Emilia approach emphasizes the importance of relationships and connections in fostering a sense of belonging and well-being in children.” – Susan Fraser
19. “The richness and depth of learning that occurs in Reggio Emilia schools challenge traditional notions of education and assessment.” – Carolyn Pope Edwards
20. “Reggio Emilia’s commitment to collaboration and dialogue fosters a sense of community and shared responsibility for children’s education.” – Wendy Lee
21. “The Reggio Emilia approach fosters a deep sense of community and collaboration, involving parents, teachers, and children in the learning process.” – Vea Vecchi
22. “The Reggio Emilia approach celebrates the joy of learning and the natural wonder children possess.” – Stephen W. Hoskins
23. “Reggio Emilia-inspired classrooms are alive with dialogue, encouraging children to express their thoughts and ideas in multiple languages.” – Celia Genishi
24. “The Reggio Emilia approach challenges us to be co-learners with children, exploring and investigating the world alongside them.” – George Forman
25. “The Reggio Emilia approach reminds us that the environment is not just a backdrop for learning; it is an active and essential component of education.” – David Hawkins
26. The Reggio Emilia approach demonstrates the power of listening to children’s voices and empowering them to be active agents in their own learning.” – Anne van Dam
27. “A hundred languages of children are celebrated in Reggio Emilia, recognizing that there are countless ways children express themselves and make sense of the world.” – Carolyn Edwards
28. “Teachers should facilitate experiences that encourage children to express themselves through many different languages, including art, music, movement, and drama.” – Lella Gandini
29. “Reggio Emilia is a journey of exploration and discovery, where teachers and children learn together.” – Louise Boyd Cadwell
30. “Reggio Emilia encourages us to question traditional notions of teaching and learning and to embrace the complexity and diversity of children’s ways of knowing.” – Patricia
31. “In the Reggio Emilia approach, the teacher’s role is that of a co-learner and facilitator, supporting the child’s investigations and discoveries.” – Amelia Gambetti
32. “Reggio Emilia is a journey of reflection, inquiry, and transformation, not just for children but also for educators and the entire learning community.” – Jane Rosenblum
33. “The Reggio Emilia approach promotes a strong sense of identity, belonging, and well-being as essential foundations for learning.” – Hilary Jo Seitz
34. “In the Reggio Emilia approach, the learning environment serves as a ‘third teacher,’ influencing children’s experiences and learning journeys.” – Louise Cadwell
35. “The Reggio Emilia approach values the power of play, recognizing it as a significant context for children’s learning and exploration.” – Gunilla Dahlberg
Principles that govern the Reggio Emilia approach?
Reggio Emilia is a significant contribution essential to the early childhood journey. Various features and differences from the current education approach help us understand its effectiveness on students. Let’s explore what makes this approach a practical reality in the field of early education.
1. Children as Active Protagonists
The Reggio Emilia approach believes children are equipped with skills and potential that are extraordinary. They already know how to do things and teachers act as facilitators in the process. Since children are considered active and capable of deciding and acting on their interests, teachers need to guide them and motivate them throughout.
2. Hundred Languages
The Reggio Emilia approach believes that children have a hundred languages which here means that children are capable of endless possibilities. They have a hundred ways of doing things, a hundred thoughts, a hundred ways of solving a problem, expressing, and a lot more. The schools need to tap into these verbal and non-verbal languages to better understand children and their unique creations.
3. Participation
The approach places great importance on participation as children can bloom these hundred languages only when they are motivated to act. Participation in activities, games, educational programs, and workshops helps them build a culture of responsibility and growth.
4. Different types of Learning
Children in Reggio Emilia approach-based schools are inspired and taught to learn from the perspective of growing and constructing their abilities. Group discussions and activities are often a part of education as they foster better communication, coordination, and thinking skills.
5. Research
An age-old approach is constantly moving ahead with modern educational approaches by laying immense significance on research. Reggio Emilia schools are equipped with great research skills to understand the development and discoveries in the educational sectors. Teachers and the community of the school constantly try to create an attitude of renewing current systems and processes by documenting information, knowledge, and foundations in early childhood education.
6. Documentation
Reggio Emilia is all about documentation as teachers are intensively involved in the process of recording a child’s growth. The approach believes that documenting information at crucial stages helps in the identification of a child’s unique qualities, aids in giving assessment, and stands as proof of self-reflection.
7. Designing
Reggio Emilia strongly believes in designing policies, educational activities, and curriculum considering research and organization of work. It throws light on designing fresh perspectives for teaching instead of simply following the existing methods and techniques.
8. Organization
Whether it is work or educational activities, the organization is highlighted in every aspect of the Reggio Emilia approach. The approach focuses on a proper structure to implement organization at all levels. It carefully looks over each aspect including working conditions and administration.
9. Environment
Schools across the globe focus on the importance of the learning environment in early childhood education for better growth. To foster a sense of safety, collaboration, and interconnectedness in learning, the environment is an important aspect in Reggio Emilia schools. Schools are equipped with the right activity, learning tools and resources, furnishings, and aesthetically pleasing interiors. Such an environment boosts growth and creates a sense of security in children.
10. Professional Growth
Along with children, the professional growth of schools and infant-toddler centers is also considered valuable in the Reggio Emilia approach. The approach talks about regular meetings to discuss different educational opportunities across the globe.
11. Evaluation
The approach lays significance in evaluating a child’s growth with active participation. It involves considering the teachers, family members, and the local community to shape the building of a better public education system.
Final word
As you learn about the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, it is important to know that this philosophy is designed to foster an environment of continuous learning. Applying some principles from the philosophy can bring about fruitful results in the already existing teaching methods.
With the usage of quotes, you can better implement the approach in a subtle yet understanding manner. Reggio Emilia’s philosophy stands as one of the effective ways and measures to foster learning and development in a creative way for little learners
I am Shweta Sharma. I am a final year Masters student of Clinical Psychology and have been working closely in the field of psycho-education and child development. I have served in various organisations and NGOs with the purpose of helping children with disabilities learn and adapt better to both, academic and social challenges. I am keen on writing about learning difficulties, the science behind them and potential strategies to deal with them. My areas of expertise include putting forward the cognitive and behavioural aspects of disabilities for better awareness, as well as efficient intervention. Follow me on LinkedIn