Welcome to reading one of my assignments from my Masters in Early Childhood. Its a longer read than usual - but I have added some photos along the way...
Introduction
In this assignment
I am going to discuss Loris Malaguzzi (1921-1994), an educator from Reggio
Emilia in Northern Italy. I will present a brief history of Malaguzzi and the
beginnings of Reggio Emilia followed by some of the key concepts of his
pedagogical philosophy. The assignment will conclude with a discussion of how
Malaguzzi has influenced the Swedish curriculum and the relevance of his work
to current early childhood education.
Almost two years
ago the nursery school where I work as a preschool teacher in Sweden made the
decision to be Reggio inspired and a year ago we began our journey. This
journey has brought me to this assignment – an opportunity to further my
knowledge in the Reggio Emilia Approach by looking closer at Malaguzzi, the
founder and for many years the Director of the Reggio Emilia system of
municipal early childhood education (Edwards et al, 1998, p.10).
A Brief History
At the end of the
Second World War Malaguzzi heard about a group of women who were building a
school from the rubble and financing it with the sale of abandoned German tanks
(Hewitt, 2001, p.95) and his involvement with these women became the beginning
of what is now known as The Reggio Emilia Approach. New (2000, p.2) writes
that the parents did not want
ordinary schools; rather, they wanted schools where children could acquire
skills of critical thinking and collaboration essential to rebuilding and
ensuring a democratic society. Moss (2007,p.136) writes
that a previous mayor of the city claimed the Fascist experience had taught the
citizens’ of Reggio Emilia that people who conformed were dangerous and that
this is why the parents so desired critical thinking for their children. They
asked Malaguzzi to teach their children, and he told them that he “had no
experience, but promised to do (his) best. 'I'll learn as we go along and the
children will learn everything I learn working with them,” (Atner, 1994). These
were not empty words but the very foundation of the Reggio Emilia approach.
Malaguzzi has “emphasized the importance of ”leaving room for learning” by
observing children and reflecting, thus enabling teaching to become better than
before” (Scott, 2007, p.22). Malaguzzi, himself learned, as he had promised -
he went to Rome to study psychology, where he took inspiration from such
thinkers as Vygotsky, Piaget, Dewey and Bruner. But he did not stop there – he
continued to research and enter dialogues with others in a variety of fields of
learning - absorbing all the information and applying the theories and ideas
that suited the needs of the preschools and the children in Reggio Emilia, for
example he went to the Rousseau Institute and the Ecole des Petits of Piaget in
Geneva (Malaguzzi 1998, p.53) but also the works of Wallon, Chaparède, Decroly,
Makarenko, Erikson, Bronfenbrenner, Bovet, Freinet and the Dalton School in New
York have guided Malaguzzi in the development of his pedagogical philosophy
(p.59). The list of names being just a sample of the scholars Malaguzzi sought
inspiration from. The various theories he discussed with the staff of the new
preschools, and the parents of the children who attended the preschools, in
order to inspire and to process the information (p.60). New (2000, p.2) says
that many credit Malaguzzi for uniting many other Italian early childhood
educators to share and debate methods of working with young children.
The
responsibility of running these schools remained heavily in the hands of the
parents until 1963 (Malaguzzi, 1998, p.50) “when the municipality of Reggio
Emilia began setting up its own network of educational services for children
from birth to six years”. (Nutbrown and Abbot, 2007, p.1). According to
Spaggiari (1998,p.105), even though the responsibility no longer rested with
the parents, but with the municipality, they continued to be an active part of
the Reggio preschool, including regular slide shows and art displays, theme
evenings, lectures given by experts for both parents and teachers, work
sessions where parents help build new furniture, workshops where new techniques
are learned, holidays and celebrations spent together with the families and
parental involvement in excursions.
Edwards et al. (1998, p.22) says Malaguzzi
decided upon limiting class size to twenty as well as there being two teachers
in every classroom rather than the customary one, and that teachers should work
collectively and without hierarchy as suggested by Bruno Ciari, the leader of
the Movement of Cooperative Education, another of source of inspiration for
Malaguzzi – and someone he was in frequent dialogue with.
In 1970 the
first infant-toddler centre was opened, one year in advance of Law 1044(1971)
instituting social and educational services for children under the age of
three. This occurred on the demand of the mothers who requested a safe place
for their children as they returned to the workforce (Edwards et al 1998 p.19, Malaguzzi, 1998, p61).
This was followed by a series of social legislation making the availability of
nursery schools more readily available to the people of Italy and the number of
schools blossomed until the mid 1980’s (Edwards et al, 1998, p.22).
The
interaction of Swedish teachers together with those of Reggio Emilia resulted
in an exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm called “The Hundred
Languages of Children” (Barsotti 2009).
The title of the exhibition also being the title of a poem written by
Loris Malaguzzi describing how children start life with a hundred languages but
are robbed of 99 continued Barsotti. Thus reinforcing his pedagogical philosophy
as being one that helps the children to maintain all their different languages
and to build upon them rather than telling the child which voice should be
used. Barsotti told us, at one of the many Reggio Emilia courses held in
Stockholm, that the interaction with Sweden has continued and in 1992 The
Reggio Emilia Institute opened in Stockholm allowing dialogues and courses to
inspire teachers across the country.
After the sudden
death of Malaguzzi, Rinaldi (2008, p.53) confesses to an enormous vacuum,
arousing fear that they would lose the sense of the experience itself. Rinaldi
had worked for 24 years by Malaguzzi’s side and thanks to their conviction they
moved forwards and continued with what Malaguzzi had started. A new version of
“The Hundred Languages of Children” Exhibit began its tour in Rome in 1995 and
continued around the world (Edwards et al,
1998, p.23). In 1996 the early childhood system in Reggio Emilia was entrusted
to the city authorities by the Ministry of Education this included funds to
continue the education of its teachers (Edwards et al 1998 p.23). The spirit of Malaguzzi is forever present in the
city of Reggio Emilia. He had challenged teachers to develop “new eyes” to
enable them to see the true intelligence of children (Rankin 2004, p.81) and
through these eyes the teachers of Reggio Emilia continue to see – what the
children are doing and are interested in, and further a-field – what the
researchers are doing. Dahlberg and Moss (2008, p.4) point out that it is not simply the
fact that the educators of Reggio have brought in concepts and theories from
many places but that more importantly they have reflected upon them, creating
their own meanings and relevance to their work.
Key Concepts
Malaguzzi
was the driving force of the key-points of the Reggio Emilia approach. These
key-points include – children have rights rather than needs; the child as a collaborator with the
teacher in his/her own education/development (interactions/pedagogy of
listening); the environment is the third educator; the researcher teacher and the researcher child (documentation/competent child); learning through play, emphasising creative expression (hundred
languages), and the involvement of the
parents. (Gandini
1998 p.177; Malaguzzi, 1998, p.79; Spaggiari, 1998, p.105; Vecchi 1998
pp139-147; Abbot 2007 p.14; Philips 2007 p.49; Rinaldi, 2008 p.57, p.65)
Rights:
Malaguzzi
(1994, p.1) said that children had the right to fulfil and also expand ALL of
their potential, describing them as rich and competent and not beings with
needs but beings with rights. He wrote down a Bill Of Three Rights – for the
parents, the teachers and the…
Children have the right to be recognized as the bearers of
important rights: individual, social and legal. They both carry and construct
their own culture and are therefore active participants in the organization of
their identity, their autonomy and their capabilities. The construction of this
organization takes place through relationships and interactions with peers,
adults, ideas and objects, as well as both real and imaginary events of a
communicative world (Malaguzzi
1994, online )
I noticed that these writings of
Malaguzzi reflect many of the articles in the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child. For example article 12, where children
have the right to say what they think should happen and have their opinions
taken into account; and in article 29 that states the development of the
child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities should be to
their fullest potential. (United Nations, 1990)
Jones (2000,)
described the rights of children in Reggio Emilia as stemming from common sense
rather than an international declaration.
The words
'common sense" carry with them overtones of approval, suggesting solid,
workable and rational agreement over what is the best to be done in determining
the rights of individuals and social groups
(Jones, 2000,
p.3)
In this description the rights of children bend and sway with the
society and the culture that the child finds itself in – a part of a family, a
part of a preschool, and a part of a city. The children can be assured the
safety and guidance of the adults around them as well as being heard and valued
to have their own theories.
Interaction
According to
an interview between Malaguzzi and Rankin (2004) the interaction between
children and children, children and adults and adults and adults is an
essential part of the Reggio experience.
Interaction
must be an important and strong word. You must write it in the entrance to the
school. Interaction. That is, try to work together to produce interactions that
are constructive, not only for socializing, but also for construction language,
for constructing the forms and meaning of language.
(Rankin, 2004,
p.84)
Rinaldi (2008)
suggests that just listening to a teacher is not a sufficient way to learn and
to develop. She contends a child should participate in his/her own development
for it to have any relevance, not only on an individual level but also by
listening to peers and learning from them. The teacher should listen to the
child in order to develop as a teacher, listen to the parents to further
understand, and listen to each other to stimulate professional development.
Rinaldi gives eight explanations of what listening is when describing
documentation and assessment. These include the concept that listening is an
active verb, that it is an emotion and based on curiosity, that it should be
done not just with our ears but with all of our senses, that it is not an easy thing
to do and should be done without prejudice, and it is the premise for any
learning relationship (2008 p.65). Zakin (2005, p.4) states that this approach to teaching and
learning based on collaboration and mentoring stems from Vygotsky’s (1973)
theories (zone of proximal development) and requires the teachers to look at
their own pedagogical practice. Therefore a curriculum is created not by the
state but by the teachers in collaboration with the children. Rankin’s (2004,
p.82) writes that Malaguzzi said “its not so much that we need to think of a
child who develops himself by himself but rather of a child who develops
himself interacting with others”. This is why the meeting place of the piazza
is so important – here the children can exchange ideas with each other – as
well as in the small activity groups together with a teacher.
Dahlberg and Moss (2008, p.6)
suggest another important inspiration for Malaguzzi has been John Dewey (1938) including
his view that learning is an active process and not merely the transmission of
pre-packaged knowledge. They suggest this is seen in the teachers listening to the
children’s interests and developing projects together, learning simultaneously
during the process.
The Third Educator
Rinaldi
(2008, pp77-88) writes that the layout of the preschools has been a crucial
part of the Reggio experience, Malaguzzi believing strongly in the relationship
between a good quality environment improving the quality of learning. The
environment should enable the child and teacher to express their potential,
abilities and curiosity. The Reggio Emilia preschools have been created by the
collaboration of architecture and pedagogy and the use of visual arts.
The piazza has become synonymous with Reggio
Emilia, each of Malaguzzi’s preschools possessing one. It is a large open
central space that most traditional schools also have, but Gandini (1998 p.165)
had wrote that Malaguzzi explained that it is how this space is used that is important. By calling it a piazza, the town square, Malaguzzi was
creating a significance about this open space – a place for meetings and
interactions – and not just a place for “recreation because between 10:00 and
10:30 there is supposed to be a break”.
Gandini
continues that the environment must be flexible and must be adapted with the
changing needs of the children. She remembers the words of Malaguzzi who told
her that “we value space because of its power to organize, promote pleasant
relationships among people of different ages, create a handsome environment,
provide changes, promote choices and activity, and its potential for sparking
all kinds of social affective, and cognitive learning” (1998, p.177)
The atelier, workshop or studio, is a space
in the Reggio Emilia preschools that Malaguzzi (1998, p.73) invested a great
deal of hope. It is a space rich in materials and tools easily accessed by the
children. It was intended not only as a space of creativity but also as a place
of research – a place where the children can test out their theories individually
and together with other children, and with professionally competent adults
(p.74). There are small ateliers for
the children to work on projects in smaller groups – as the children are
divided according to age in Reggio Emilia preschools (Gandini, 1998, p.172).
Bishop
(2007, p.73) says that Reggio Emilia preschools have intended to have an
educational and symbolic value for those using the spaces – both indoors and
outdoors. Many describe the preschools as filled with light and colour from the
large glass windows, white walls and glass room dividers, aquarium-like, and
illuminating the children’s work (Bishop, 2007; Hirst, 2007; Nutbrown and
Abbot, 2007; Gandini, 1998;). Furniture and materials are designed so that the
children can be independent – the environment allows them to start activities
and pursue them with as little assistance from adults (van den Bosch, 2009,
p.20).
Documentation
”We teachers
must see ourselves as researchers, able to think, and produce a true
curriculum, a curriculum produced from all of the children” (Malaguzzi, 1993
p.4). The word ”reconnaissance” is used by Malaguzzi, (1998, pp.88-89) as an
important tool to overview the situation with the children, the preschool, the
family, the town etc. From this reconnaissance wisdom is acquired into how the
children play, how they pretend and how individual and group identities develop
etc (p.89). Rinaldi (1998, p.119) explains that the observations are documented
and are used to stimulate the teacher’s self-reflection as well as discussions
with colleagues.
Projects
arise from the interest of the children continues Rinaldi, they are of varying
lengths of time and children work by themselves and with the teachers. The
teachers continue to observe and document during the project’s process and this
documentation makes it “possible for the teachers to sustain the children’s
learning while they also learn (to teach) from the children’s own learning”
(Rinaldi 1998, p.120) The documentation includes words and photographs at both
adult and child height (Leask, 2007, p.45) as well as diagrams, working models,
paintings etc (Bishop, 2007, p.76). Slide documentaries, videos and books says
Rinaldi (1998, p.121) also support the memory and interactions of the teachers,
children and parents. She continues that by revisiting a project by looking at
the documentation the children are offered an opportunity to further reflect
and interpret their own ideas. Something I do with the children in Stockholm
with exciting results. The artwork and results of the projects therefore
document the process – the learning of the children which then offers further
learning processes for adults and children alike by acting as a “mirror of our
knowledge” (Rinaldi, 1998, 121).
Play
“Play is a key factor in children’s
well-being. As such it is not a luxury to be considered after other rights have
been addressed but understood as an essential and integral part of children’s
everyday lives and therefore central to the UN Convention as a whole.” (Fronczek, 2009, p.113). Malaguzzi says
that as teachers each one
needs to be able to play with the things that derive from children and that
curiosity is a necessary attribute. He also says that teachers need to be able
to try something new based on the ideas that are collected from the children.
(Malaguzzi, 1993 p.2). In other words Malaguzzi is not only promoting play as a
method of learning for children, but also as a method of learning for the
adults around them.
Hundred languages
Malaguzzi
(1998 p.3) wrote a poem as part of the exhibition of the children’s work
entitled “The Hundred Languages of Children” that reveals his thoughts that
children do not think and learn in just one way but have many approaches to the
world and his belief that school and culture are robbing them of ninety nine by
telling them how to think and how to learn without joy. Göhlich (2008, p.1) wrote that learning is multidimensional
– that it includes learning to know, learning to know-how and learning to live
and that it is not just a cognitive process.
Learning
creatively has involved challenging many preconceived ideas about education.
Up to now, art
instruction, has been more appreciated for its cultural and recreational
service to children than its educational possibilities and Zakin (2005 p.5)
believes that it should be seen with new eyes, that art and science are not at
opposite ends of the scale. Gardner (1998 p.xvii) also comments on the harmony
Reggio has achieved by “challenging so many false dichotomies” for example
child versus adult, enjoyment versus study as well as, like Zakin, the contrast
of art and science. Rinaldi (2006 p.173) continues this list with work-play and
reality-imagination; she writes the word “and”, linking everything together –
creativity and rationality, teaching and researching etc. I understand this,
as one should cover all areas with
equal importance so that the child has a chance to develop her “hundred
languages” and has a greater opportunity to find the ones that she excels at
and enjoys.
Parents
The parents are
an important part of the Reggio preschool experience, they are also considered
a specialist and are recognised for bringing with them a particular viewpoint
as well as values (Rinaldi, 2006, p.157). Hunter (2007, p.39) says that parents
are encouraged to participate in the daily life of the preschools and that
parental observations contribute to “lively discussions”. Running the
preschools without the parents, write Södergren and Wiking (2009, p.15), is
unthinkable in the Reggio Emilia preschools and are a part of their development
rather than just “customers” who drop off their children to professionals who
make all the decisions.
Reggio Emilia and Sweden
Malaguzzi’s
“first flight abroad” was to Sweden and the exhibit which was first called
“When the eye jumps over the wall” that later became “The Hundred Languages of
Children” (Barsotti, 2009). This involvement with Sweden came before the
curriculum for the preschool (Lpfö98) came into being in 1998. Vecchi comments
on the importance of the move of the Swedish preschool from the Social Service
Department to the Education Department indicating a change of viewing
preschools as a place to protect and nurture children to a place of learning
(Vecchi 1999, p.46). The new curriculum was welcomed by many as it raises the status
of the preschool, by describing the preschool as laying the foundation of
lifelong learning, giving parents the possibility to influence the setting as
well as challenging teachers concerning giving children the right to influence
their own situation (Rösne and Sköldefors 1999, p.48).
Bondesson et al (2007 p.17) describes the new
Swedish preschool curriculum as changing the focus of how the child is seen.
The curriculum sees the child as competent, as did Malaguzzi, and that the
teachers should support the child’s development and learning through
interactions with children and adults. “Children in preschool should meet
adults who see the potential in each child and who involve themselves
interactively with both the individual child and the group of children as a
whole” (Lpfö98 p.5).
The curriculum
has a general formulation which allows a variety of interpretations – therefore
the traditional Swedish preschool, writes Bondesson et al (2007 p.18) is able to continue working with children based
on adult lead activities, but at the children’s level to encourage their
learning. At the same time it allows for the Reggio inspired method of allowing
the children to influence their own learning process and the teachers as fellow
researcher. The Swedish curriculum states “The preschool should promote
learning, which presupposes active discussion in the work team on the contents
of what constitutes learning and knowledge” (Lpfö 98 p.6).
At the preschool
where I work in Stockholm we have a
pedagogical advisor that comes once a week and works with us – to discuss
ideas, documentation methods and starting up projects after observing the
children’s interests. Therefore we are discussing what learning is for us,
embroidering the philosophy of Malaguzzi onto our Swedish fabric.
The Swedish preschool curriculum also
covers Malaguzzi’s key points of being creative “by means of different forms of
expression, such as pictures, song and music, drama, rhythm, dance and
movement, as well as spoken and written language” as an essential part of
“promoting the development and learning of the child” (Lpfö98, 2006 p.7)
Södergren and
Wiking (2008, p.26) write their concern that the Reggio Approach preschools in
Sweden can never expect the parent participation that occurs at the preschools
in Reggio Emilia in Italy. This, they believe, stems from the fact that
preschools in Sweden arise from the parents need for childcare rather than
being created for the children as they did in Reggio Emilia. This, though, does
not consider the parent co-operatives in Sweden that rely on parental
involvement – these co-operatives are not always Reggio inspired, but have many
different influences – from traditional Swedish preschools, forest schools (Ur
och Skur) to Montessori etc. Working at a Reggio inspired preschool without the
parental involvement expectations and having my children at a parent
co-operative without a Reggio profile has been an eye-opening experience to see
just how valuable the interaction of parents is for teachers, parents and not least
the children.
Parents are seen
as valuable by the Swedish curriculum as the section on preschool and home
states – “Parents should have the
opportunity…to be involved and influence activities in the preschool.” (Lpfö98,
2006, p13) but are not as actively involved, on the whole, as the parents in
Reggio Emilia.
To see the
environment as a third educator is something Swedish preschools are still
working on, Bondesson et al
(2007,p.37) had predicted that this would have been the area easiest for Swedish
preschools to adopt from the Reggio philosophy, but were disappointed in their
study to find that this was not the case. They felt that having a mirror
pyramid was not enough and that the environments lacked sensual experiences and
a more inspiring environment for the children’s creativity. Preschools in
Sweden, both traditional and Reggio are making the transition from adult sized
furniture to child sized (Thestrup and Sundquist, 2004 p.13). My own preschool
has two child-sized tables and one adult-sized table, although there are
discussions to invest in child-sized furniture for the entire department.
The rights of
children, “each individual shall be emphasised and made explicit in all
preschool activity” (Lpfö, p.3) comes under the heading of fundamental values
in the Swedish curriculum, the word “democracy” being the very first word used.
“Democracy
forms the foundation of the preschool.” (Lpfö98, p3)
This is very
poignant when one considers that the preschools in Reggio Emilia were started
as a reaction to the fascism Italy endured during World War II. Rinaldi (2008
p.140-141) writes of the importance of democracy in the preschools in Reggio
Emilia and its connection to the children’s participation – “school as a place
of democracy”.
In Stockholm, we
have not only the Swedish National Curriculum to follow, but also Stockholm’s
Preschool Curriculum, which is a compliment to the national one. In the
Stockholm Curriculum there is a section on pedagogical documentation (the word
documentation does not occur in the national curriculum), it describes
documentation as a tool to reflect and develop the setting, allowing the work
at the preschool to be visible so that children, parents and staff have a basis
for reflection as well as it being a support in self evaluation and part of the
systematic quality of work (Stockholm Stad 2009, p.14).
The Relevance of Reggio
To
give an idea of the extent of its influence, between January 1981 and January
1999 there were approximately six hundred delegations to Reggio Emilia with a
total of about ten thousand visitors (Morrow, 1999, p.23). In Sweden it can be
a long wait before one gets the opportunity to visit Reggio Emilia as part of
one of the courses offered, as there are so many wanting to visit – my
preschool is still on that waiting list – a year later.
There
are several areas of research identified by Abbot and Nutbrown (2007) arising
from the inspiration of Malaguzzi and the Reggio Approach, for example the role
of teachers, parents and play in the education of children. Also inclusion and
attitudes to special educational needs as well as the role of the preschool
environment and creativity.
What
Malaguzzi has introduced to Reggio Emilia is not necessarily new, Dewey (1980,
p15) had written about traditional schools being a crime against the nature of
children by not following the interests of the children and learning
practically, as did Pestalozzi (1746-1827) (Nutbrown et al 2009, p.27). Nutbrown et
al (2009) continue that play has had several pioneers including Montessori
(1870-1952), Steiner (1861-1925), Fröbel (1782-1852), Isaacs (1885-1948) and
Margaret Macmillan (1860-1931). Comenius (1592-1670) had written about how
teachers should understand how a child’s mind works, as did Dewey (1859-1952),
Vygotsky (1896-1934) and Montessori with their ideas of a child-centred
education – with activities and interaction and Charlotte Mason’s (1842-1923)
writings became known by some as a child’s Bill of Rights (Nutbrown et al, 2009, p.36). What was new with
Malaguzzi was the longevity of putting his theory into his practical work.
Gardner (1998, p.xvi) compares Dewey’s decades of writing theory and his four
years of practical work in a school with Reggio Emilia, “Nowhere else in the
world is there such a seamless and symbiotic relationship between a school’s
progressive theory and its practices”. The “hundred languages of children”
documents how the preschools in Reggio Emilia have evolved over forty years
interweaving theory and practice during this time. Nutbrown (2006, p.121)
quotes Moss (2001), that:
“while we
seek the answer which will be enable
us to foreclose, in Reggio they understand that even after 30 years or more,
their work remains provisional, continually open to new conditions,
perspectives, understandings and possibilities”
We need to also continually assess what we are
doing, to weave into our practical work the theories that we are reading – and
making it relevant to the situation we find ourselves in.
Nutbrown et
al (2009, p154-155) describe play as an important part of learning for
children, and that although the word “play” is used often its definition is not
always clear. After a period of children “working” in school being favoured,
play, has once again, found a new respect.
The EYFS and the Early Learning Goals
(ELGs), however, provide sufficient flexibility for practitioners to follow
children’s interests, respond to their ideas for developing play activities,
and provide structured activities (which can also be playful) to teach specific
knowledge and skills. (The National Strategies Early Years, 2009 p.5)
For teachers in Reggio Emilia play is highly
valued for its ability to promote development writes New (1998 p.274), but is
only a part of the learning package – the project being of equal importance.
Malaguzzi’s description of a child with rights
rather than needs is relevant in the discussion of inclusion. Phillips (2007
p.52) writes that “ the hundred ways of thinking, of playing, of speaking” in
Malaguzzi’s poem is a recognition of diversity rather than churning out a
“standard” child from the school system. Inclusion has been a part of Reggio
Emilia practice prior to it becoming national law in Italy in 1971 (Vakil et
al, 2003, p187). Inclusion, though, is more than just placing special needs
children in a classroom, write Vakil et
al (2003, p187) it requires a holistic approach of the child with
appropriate practices which is not always a possibility in a “strictly academic
curriculum”. Smith (1998) writes that in Reggio Emilia an extra teacher is assigned
to the group rather than the child which avoids, as Agneta Hellström called the
“bodyguard model” in which the support teacher, often lacking in appropriate
experience and training, is assigned to the child. Soncini, interviewed by
Smith, goes on to explain how ALL teachers in the preschool are supplied with
the relevant information so that children with special rights are welcomed in
all classes and all areas of the school and not totally reliant on one adult
(Smith, 1998: 201-205). Phillips (2007, pp58-59) points out that no place is
perfect and that a recently built preschool had not been made wheelchair
accessible, and that not all rooms and all materials were within reach for such
children.
Canella
(1997 p.162) says the voices of children have been silenced by the weight of
“adult” constructions of and for them. The English Foundation Stage
Curriculum views the child as a future pupil, write Soler and Miller (2003,
p.61), they continue that the curriculum is organised in stepping
stones which views children’s development in a sequential manner. This means
policy makers have assumed where levels begin and end for all children whereas,
they write, Malaguzzi has stated the child as the starting point of the
curriculum. Rinaldi, write Edwards et al,
(1998 p.183), said that learning must be imagined as “spiralling” with
children, teachers and parents as active parts of the learning process that
cannot be expected to occur in any set order.
Warash et al (2008
p.447) write of the similarities of Reggio Emilia with DAP (Developmentally
Appropriate Practice) and the foundations of the Competent Learner Model, as
those that have an appropriate curriculum, teaching strategies, and an
appropriate learning environment so that children acquire the necessary competencies
to be competent learners. They continue that Malaguzzi and the Reggio Approach
have stimulated a “powerful arena for reflecting on and questioning educational
practices”.
Malaguzzi
(1998 p.75-77) said that creativity should not be considered a separate mental
faculty and that it requires the partnership of knowledge and expression rather
than being at odds. Robinson (1998) has also come to understand the importance
of creativity as a part of the educational process rather than a separate
subject.
Creativity is not simply a matter of letting go.
Serious creative achievement relies on knowledge, control of materials and
command of ideas. Creative education involves a balance between teaching
knowledge and skills, and encouraging innovation. In these ways, creative
development is directly related to cultural education. (Robinson, 1998, p.6)
Final Dialogue
The Reggio Emilia
approach requires a great deal from its teachers, they need to have the energy
and enthusiasm to develop and evolve, to have the ability to believe in
themselves and in the children and parents, they need to be able to be part of
a team – not just a team of colleagues, but of the whole community. Malaguzzi
had great expectations of his teachers and could be exacting and demanding, but
this was a part of his respect for their intelligence, abilities and
possibilities (Rinaldi, 2008 p.59) in just the same way that a teacher strives
to help a child reach his full potential. Warash et al (2008, p.445) observed that teachers in Reggio did not praise
children for work below their full capacity and that there is a persistence of
questioning that is not seen in the U.S.A, where fostering self-esteem is more
dominant.
One concern is the lack of research
into the effects of the Reggio approach. There is no research into whether or
not they achieve what they set out to do. There is no knowing whether or not
the children will grow up into adults able to think for themselves and trust in
their own convictions. There is a need to evaluate their own effectiveness –
not to just continuously evaluate the time of the early childhood years – but
to see whether it does have a lasting effect – whether these children keep
their “extra pocket” into adulthood, and if they do, whether they use the
contents of this extra pocket (Hunter 2007). If they are not keeping or using
these pockets there is then a need to develop their practice further so that
they do in fact achieve the goals the original parents had set and the very
reason for the preschools existing.
There are studies that show that
preschool does have lasting effects - the High/Scope method HAS been evaluated
and showed that working with young children does in fact improve conditions for
adult life (Schweinhart 2009). The EPPE (Effective
Pre-school and Primary Education), the largest study in Europe on the effects
of preschool education on children’s intellectual and social and behavioural
development, has also shown that good quality preschool education has lasting
effects beyond the preschool years (Sylva & Siraj-Blatchford,
2009)
Having attended a Reggio Course in
Stockholm I found it strange that we were unable to take photographs at the
preschool we visited that had been to Reggio Emilia in Italy – their reason
being that they themselves had not been allowed to take photographs during
their visit in Italy. I could not reconcile with the fact that a pedagogical
philosophy, which promotes photographic documentation as a method of memory
stimulation to further deepen the learning process, would then deny visitors
such a source of inspiration. When I questioned the ban on photography there
came an explanation of making ones own journey. This I can understand, but at
the same time question – we have travel guides that help us make decisions
about a journey, including photographs and information to help us make a
choice. Even if we were to choose what was recommended in the guidebook it
would never be the same experience – the weather might be different, the group
of people would interact in a different way etc – producing something new and
unique. The photographs of the preschools that allowed such documentation (on
the same course) have proved to be a great source of inspiration. We could
never replicate what they have done as our building and our needs are different
– but they serve to inspire us to create something new in our own location and
question what we do now.
It is impossible
to say just how much influence Malaguzzi and the Reggio Approach has had upon
early childhood educational practices, but without a doubt the sheer numbers of
educators visiting Reggio Emilia and reading the literature must be having an
impact on how teachers view the child and their own educational approach.
Carlo Barsotti (2005)
described Loris Malaguzzi as a genuine person and that maybe his greatness lay
in the fact he was never satisfied with his successes. He continues that
Malaguzzi never wrote down his early childhood pedagogy as a method as he
believed it to be continually changing and evolving, that the teachers should
also be non static and offer tools and experiences that the children could use
to stimulate their creativity. It is this influence, writes New (2000,
p.4) to promote, change, but reflection, debate, and conversation--that may
well be Malaguzzi’s and the preschools of Reggio Emilia greatest legacy.
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