Implementation of Reggio Emilia in an Irish Early Years School

Implementation of Reggio Emilia in an Irish Early Years School
Cheeky Cherubs Early Years School
Cheeky Cherubs Early Years Schools was established in 2005, in Bishopstown. We are completely committed to enhancing the lives of children in our care.
We opened our first centre in a converted bungalow with a large secure outdoor area. For eight years we have provided a Full Day Care service in this setting
for children from six months to school age, following the HighScope curriculum. In the summer of 2013, we made the decision to adapt this environment to
create a new vision for early year’s experiences. The children now plan to work and move from one area to the next in an open plan environment without being
confined by walls. There is a huge emphasis on providing opportunities, experiences and stimulating spaces in which the children will grow socially,
emotionally and creatively, which in turn will develop their cognitive skills and school readiness.
While we follow the HighScope curriculum, we are influenced by many approaches and guidelines,
such as; Reggio Emilia, Siolta, Aistear, Multiple Intelligences Theory, and Steiner.
The most important focus is following the children’s emergent interests.
A chief principle of the HighScope curriculum is centred on the concept of ‘Active Learning’ through play-based instigation processes. The ‘Active Learning’
curriculum is strategically structured to facilitate children to ‘see’ and think autonomously and to do things for themselves and, in the process, to become
confident in their ability to achieve – the competent child. Cheeky Cherubs teachers, focus on the child’s strengths, while forming respectful partnership and
relationships, the children are supported in their play endeavours, they are given choices, they engage with and encourage the children, and, very importantly,
support and facilitate problem solving. Children are encouraged and facilitated to communicate their choices, ideas and experiences, in social groups and in one
to one interactions with their teachers. Each child is supported according to his or her identified needs and wants. When issues of conflict arise, conflict
resolution mechanisms are employed by the teachers to facilitate children in choosing their own solutions to solve the conflict issues. A crucial part of the
conflict resolution interaction is for adults to show respect for children’s solutions by supporting their decisions and following through on actions. Adults
provide support by using encouraging words and when the children themselves cannot reach a solution, by helping them to explore the issues involved, and
assisting them in formulating a shared consensual solution.
Following a study visit to Reggio Emilia, in Italy, in early 2008 we were inspired by their approach. Reggio Emilia outlines that children relate best in playbased environments that encourage interactions and exploration of materials with peer groupings in an atmosphere of meaningful autonomous control in shared
exchanges, through flexible fun-based partnership approach, rather than an overly directive mind-set of the adults. The well-being of young children, and their
long-term capacity for physical, emotional and spiritual resilience is critically dependent on appropriate supportive inputs from significant adult carers. The
main principles of Reggio Emilia are; to ensure that the child is an active participant, that the children, teachers and parents collaborate in meaningful ways, and
that the importance of the environment as the third teacher is taken into account. We extend the interests of the children through project work which is carefully
documented in many ways, such as; children’s personal journals, photographs, displays, learning stories, observations and children’s words.
Examples of art work
Art Storage
Light Table
Aesthetics are an
important aspect of
Reggio Emilia, it is
important that all
materials and works are
displayed beautifully,
and within easy reach of
the children and
educators. There are a
variety of materials
available to explore and
manipulate, such as;
paints, brushes of
different sizes, papers,
pencils and glue. The
children are free to
work with them
throughout the day, to
create whatever they
choose with the support
of the educators.
The Studio – Atelier
Natural Materials
Invitation to create – easels
Maths and Science Area
The experiences available here
ensure that children become
familiar with numbers, shapes,
directions, lengths, weights,
technology and the world they
live in. By displaying these
tools in this way, the children’s
curiosity is stimulated.
Maths & Science Area
The Studio – Toy, Maths and
Science Areas
Library (Separate room)
This room was once a place for sleeping; now it is
where we go reading. We explore books and mark
making, listening to music and work with iPads,
with the support and supervision of the teachers.
Maths & Science Area
Planning Props
Library
As the children are free to work
throughout the building we use props to
support their thoughts and ideas. Here
we have a map where the children can
place their name where they would like
to work with a pin, and a box with items
to represent each area.
As a result of the children’s emergent interest
in space and our universe, an area was
dedicated to display their project work and
reference books and items. Consultation with
the children in creating this exhibit was the
secret to this areas success.
Creativity goes beyond being artistic or musical. In our curriculum, creativity includes the areas of science, maths and social science. True creativity is
enhanced without the excessive use of rewards, the use of highly structured materials or overly directive instruction. Through HighScopes use of “Active
Learning”, the hands on experiences in play, and the Reggio approach, we encourage each child’s own intrinsic motivation by developing their own interests
and enjoyment in experiences. By valuing the process rather than the product, and by showing children our genuine excitement and enthusiasm for their
discoveries and attempts, we are preparing them to be creative thinkers, capable of solving problems. By providing inviting, spacious, aesthetic environments
we are respecting and trusting in the children’s abilities and competencies. We carefully organize spaces for small and large group projects and small intimate
spaces for one, two or three children, where they can
move to throughout the day. During planning children
Blocks – bought and cut blocks stored
Images of the spaces within the
can share their intensions and invite others to join them
side by side. Beautiful
Dramatics Room
if they choose. All the doors are open encouraging
movement from one space to another.
Home Area
We place enormous value on the role of the
environment as a motivating and animating force in
creating spaces for relations, options, and emotional
and cognitive situations that produce a sense of wellbeing and security.
Loris Malaguzzi, Reggio Emilia Italy.
Stage
Sitting Area & Office
Opportunities for discussion
Children are communicators. Communication is a process, a way of discovering things, asking questions, using language as play. Playing with sounds and
rhythm and rhyme; delighting in the process of communicating. Cheeky Cherubs’ children are encouraged to use language to investigate and explore, and to
reflect on their experiences. They are listened to with respect, believing that their questions and observations are an opportunity to learn and search together as a
group or with their teacher. This discovery is a process, a continual process, it is collaborative process, rather than the child asking a question and the adult
offering the answers. The search is undertaken together. There are many opportunities throughout the day for discussion, planned, unplanned, spontaneous. The
layout of the building and diversity of interest area means the children are free to move physically and mentally through the space thus there are unlimited
opportunities for discussion. The adults role is one of support and scaffolding their knowledge. The adults take daily observation of the children enabling them
to plan around the children’s emergent interests.
Cheeky Cherubs custom
made Light Tables
We have created open spaces free from clutter, where every material is considered for its purpose, every corner is ever-evolving to encourage children to delve
deeper and deeper into their interests. The space encourages collaboration, communication and exploration. Many of the materials found in our interest area are
common household items, chosen for their aesthetic appeal or practical uses. As with Reggio, the way we think about materials really reflects how we think
about children. Materials have the potential to draw you in, make you want to stay a while, explore a little (or a lot), try new things, create and wonder. It’s
when you start to think differently about learning, about what activities or explorations you present to your child, that you start to see the potential in these
materials as tools for learning and discovery. One of the many examples of this thoughtful process is our custom made and designed Light Tables. The Reggio
approach emphasises using the room as the third educator. Here in Cheeky Cherubs, our custom made light tables embody this philosophy. The children can
manipulate and experiment with ordinary and familiar objects and materials, seeing things in a new light. Our light tables allow the children to experiment with
colour and patterns, light and shadows. As well as exploring the ordinary and familiar, we also have sand trays which aid the children’s development of fine
motor skills, hand eye co-ordination, mark making, tactile perception and creative play. We have a variety of different natural materials stored next to the tables
which the children use to extend their knowledge.
Music in the
Dramatics Room
Karthik is enjoying singing to his
band.
Sara is developing her sense of
identity as she sings to her
reflection in the mirror.
The group shares in musical
experiences, through singing on
the mic and playing a wide
variety of instruments. Building
the children’s confidence and
music appreciation
While Francis
chooses not to sing,
there are plenty of
opportunities for her
to explore music,
rhythm and beat
As part of the redesign of Cheeky Cherubs, Bishopstown we
spoke to the children in all our services about what they
would like, they all said that they would like more space to
work and play with their friends. That is why we decided to
have our interest areas in different rooms. At planning time
we use planning props to decide where to work, in the
studio, the library the dramatics room or the outdoors. This
requires the doors to be kept open, to facilitate free
movement. This approach requires the Anne-Marie and Una
to trust their children, as competent and capable individuals.
The Hallway
When the children
realised that their roll of
paper did not fit in the
Studio, they decided to
work in the long hall
way, where everyone
could work together
Una noticed that the children showed no interest in the wool available,
so she simply changed how it was displayed, resulting in it
travelling across the school.
The Dramatics – Block Area
The Block area provides the space to work in groups or solo. Daniel is intent on re-enacting the carpentary skills
he has seen at home, while Francis and Lina are bring their pinic within the walls of their creation. Fras and Omer
used a range of blocks to build a farm, combining farming and architecture, farm and wild animals.
Anastazia is given the materials and opportunity to explore construction and experiemnts with her engineering skills
as she works independently on creating her own city scape.
You can show children where to look but you cannot tell them what to see.
This approach requires dedication, confidence and an understanding on the behalf of the educators. It requires the adults to ensure that the rights of the child are
met. Children are capable of constructing their own learning. They are driven by their interests to understand and know more. The Reggio approach promotes
an image of the child as a strong, capable protagonist in his or her own learning, and, importantly, as a subject of rights. Deserving of respect. They are rich,
competent and intelligent, co-constructors of knowledge. They are researchers who make meaning of the world, as critical thinkers.
Two of the many aspects we have taken from Reggio Emilia is that the expressive arts play a central role in learning and that a unique reciprocal learning
relationship exists between teacher and child.
For Howard Gardner “Reggio epitomises an education that is effective and humane; its students undergo a sustained apprenticeship in humanity,
one that may last a life time.”
What more could we ask for?