The Reggio Emilia Approach to early childhood education is based on the teachings of Loris Malaguzzi, an early childhood teacher from the Reggio Emilia region of Italy during the time period following World War II. This approach focuses on following the lead of the child to direct learning and allowing them to interact with the environment for hands-on experiences. Documentation of children's learning is an important element of this approach. Children often create portfolios of their work (with the assistance of their teacher) and include photographs, drawing, language samples and other evidence of new concepts they have learned. Art is an important way that children are encouraged to express their ideas in The Reggio Emilia Approach.
Classrooms that utilize this approach are rich in natural materials and display fewer pre-made classroom decorations. Since art is viewed as a critical part of learning, the children's art takes place of other décor. The art is individualized and does not follow a sample from a teacher. Many materials are available for children to play with on open-ended ways such as blocks or colorful fabric rather than in fewer pre-determined ways (such as a race track that encouraged a less varied idea of how it would be used). For additional information about the Reggio Emilia Approach see the sites listed below and list your ideas about the approach in the comments below!
http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Reggio_Emilia/
http://reggioalliance.org/
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/reggio-emilia-approach
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggio_Emilia_approach
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