The Reggio Emilia approach to Early Years Education

Omschrijving

In educational terms the northern Italian town of Reggio Emilia has a firmly established worldwide reputation for forward thinking and excellence in its approach to early childhood education. North American and Scandinavian educators have long recognised the importance of the continuing educational development that is taking place in the Reggio model, and there is much about the approach that is of interest to educators in Scotland. It is a socio-constructivist model. That is, it is influenced by the theory of Lev Vygotsky, which states that children (and adults) co-construct their theories and knowledge through the relationships that they build with other people and the surrounding environment. It also draws on the work of others such as Jean Piaget, Howard Gardner and Jerome Bruner. It promotes an image of the child as a strong, capable protagonist in his or her own learning, and, importantly, as a subject of rights. 
It is distinguished by a deeply embedded commitment to the role of research in learning and teaching. It is an approach where the expressive arts play a central role in learning and where a unique reciprocal learning relationship exists between teacher and child. Much attention is given to detailed observation and documentation of learning and the learning process takes priority over the final product. It is a model that demonstrates a strong relationship between school and community and provides a remarkable programme for professional development.

Since this paper was first written, in 1998, the town of Reggio Emilia has undergone significant change and evolution at a socio-cultural and demographic level. The population of this medium sized Italian town was 135,406 in 1995 and according to the 2004 census now stands at 155.1911. This population growth is due to a number of factors, such as the increase of the average lifespan, an increase in the birth rate (which is significantly higher than in other parts of northern Italy) and increasing immigration both from other parts of Italy and from other countries, both within and outwith the European Union.

Reggio Emilia is a very prosperous town that boasts a strong cultural heritage, historic architecture and beautiful squares. The citizens of Reggio Emilia are served by generally efficient public services. The town has a strong tradition of co-operation and inclusion that cuts across social and economic boundaries, and politically the people continue to show their support for the Socialist Parties. Increased immigration, however, has undoubtedly created new challenges for Reggio Emilia and the town is experiencing a period of transition in terms of cultural awareness. The number of non-European immigrants resident in Reggio Emilia has risen from 5090 in 1997 to 15,052 in 2005. This is an increase which has not gone unnoticed by Italians. Equally, while local government remains committed to the development of social policies that actively support families and children, there is an increasing sense of precariousness in early childhood services because of national government legislation. As ever, educators, parents and citizens in Reggio Emilia have been vocal in protesting against such economic cuts and reduction in staff numbers. Indeed, at the time of writing there have been protests in the form of signing petitions and opening pre-school establishments to the public on Saturday mornings with the purpose of highlighting this precariousness.