EYFS Best Practice: All about ... the Reggio Approach

The early years approach adopted by pre-schools in Reggio Emilia, northern Italy, is held in high regard throughout the world. Their educators' commitment to clear values and principles and a willingness to share with and learn from others have led professionals in the early years field internationally to reflect on their own practice and take inspiration from the Reggio Approach.

In 1999, Sightlines Initiative organised the first large-scale UK study tour to the city of Reggio Emilia. Those fortunate enough to have attended the study tour shared a remarkable experience as they learned about the infant-toddler centres and pre-schools.

In 2000, the 'Hundred Languages of Children' exhibition, illustrating the research-based work of the children and educators of Reggio Emilia, toured major cities in the UK and was visited by thousands of early years professionals. Both of these events, the ensuing study tours and the return of the exhibition in 2004 have greatly influenced the development of early years policy and practice in the UK.

The four key strands of the EYFS, the emphasis on the importance of reciprocal relationships with families, a focus on children's creativity and critical thinking, and the impact of observational assessment and documentation of children's learning all demonstrate the influence which the Reggio Approach has had on our thinking.

The Reggio Emilia Philosophy

Research into children's thinking and learning plays a critical role in determining how the philosophy and pedagogy in Reggio Emilia develops. When talking about their philosophy, educators describe their approach as a long-term research project where children and adults are learning alongside one another - building the present, not forgetting the past and looking to the future.

They recognise the importance of understanding more about how children learn, and consider every child a gifted child who needs a gifted teacher. Children with disabilities are fully integrated into the early childhood centres and are spoken of as children with special rights.

In Reggio there is no predetermined curriculum. Children's learning is developed through their involvement in short and long-term projects which develop out of first-hand experiences and their theories about the world.

The image of the child

Fundamental to the Reggio Approach is the image of the child as rich in potential, strong, powerful and competent. At the centre of the Reggio pedagogy is the child who is confident in building relationships, who holds their own values, who wants to be respected and valued for themselves as well as holding a respect for others, and who embodies a curiosity and open-mindedness towards all that is possible.

The 100 Languages of Children and the atelier

Under the pedagogical guidance of the late Loris Malaguzzi, the inspiration behind the educational experience in Reggio Emilia, two theories linking language and thought developed - the 100 languages of children and the notion of the atelier. These two aspects are closely related and have come to epitomise, for many, the essence of the Reggio Approach.

Creativity lies at the heart of the way that educators demonstrate how they value each child as an individual with their own ideas and abilities and unique ways of understanding and connecting with the world. In describing the 100 languages of expression, Malaguzzi recognised all the many different ways in which children interpret the world and express their ideas and theories.

The atelier in the pre-schools and infant-toddler centres is often described as the studio, workshop or laboratory. It is a characteristic of the design of a Reggio centre. The atelier is described as 'the place of what is possible', the place for creative thinking, research and discovery.

Young children's creativity is supported by creative adults - atelieriste - who share their skills and competencies with the children and provide them with open-ended resources and experiences.

Time

Within the Reggio philosophy, the management of time is a key factor in supporting children's learning. Through careful attention to the organisation of the day and the working week, priority is given to setting aside the necessary time for children and adults to become fully engaged in co-operative learning and building relationships. Adults have time to document, time to reflect, time to share with colleagues and time to share with parents.

Documentation

Documentation underpins the whole approach to understanding young children's learning in Reggio. Educators in Reggio have refined and developed their skills of observation and interpretation over many years.

Documentation is seen as a continuity tool so that 'the teacher, being able to reflect on how the learning is proceeding ... can base her teaching not on what she wants to teach, but on what the children want to learn' (Rinaldi 2006).

Reciprocal relationships

Fundamental to the Reggio philosophy is the importance of reciprocal relationships, where collegiality and collaboration is valued and the concept of the learning group is important. Parents are expected to be active participants in the education system, and teachers respect their views and opinions.

Environment

One of the most striking features of the Reggio pre-schools and infant-toddler centres is the physical environment and the use of space, light and colour. There is a symbiotic relationship between the architecture of the early childhood centres and the pedagogy and philosophy of the Reggio Approach.

INFLUENCE ON UK PRACTICE

Importance of the physical environment

One of the most visible influences the Reggio Approach has had on early years practice in the UK has been the care and attention given to the physical environment. In Reggio the learning potential of all areas of the centres is recognised and developed. Of particular interest to many UK practitioners has been the way in which mealtimes and food are used to further children's social and cognitive development.

CASE STUDY: Haven Nursery School and Children's Centre in Gosport

At Haven Nursery School and Children's Centre in Gosport in Hampshire, the principles of the Reggio Approach have influenced practice in many different ways and continue to do so.

June Smith, the head of centre, has encouraged staff to place an emphasis on the value of mealtimes as rich, social occasions full of learning opportunities. Instead of using the former school hall, meals are now eaten in a dedicated dining room next to the new kitchen located at the heart of the centre.

The architect's brief for the new kitchen included a requirement to avoid solid doors so that the children and other centre users are able to watch, and feel involved in, the preparation of food.

Subtle colours, plants, framed prints and mirrors have created a pleasant dining area where tables are laid with checked cloths and flowers. Plastic crockery has been replaced with ceramic bowls and plates and glasses for water, with very few breakages. Children sit at tables arranged in their 'family groups' alongside their key, or co-key, worker.

The children's bathroom areas have been decorated in the same way, to give a less functional, more homely feel.

June Smith was greatly influenced by the facilities provided for staff in Reggio, and the centre now has a new staff lounge with comfortable seating, a bookcase and radio. A separate resources room, equipped with computers, photocopier and laminators, is available for staff to document the children's learning and plan for the next steps.

Planning, assessing and documenting children's learning

Perhaps one of the greatest influences of the Reggio Approach on UK practice is the way in which practitioners have focused their work with very young children on recognising and following children's interests and fascinations, providing them with openended resources and provocations, observing and interpreting what they see, and making children's learning visible through documentation.

CASE STUDY: Oatlands Community Infant School, Harrogate

In North Yorkshire, a local authority with more than 300 settings in the PVI sectors and a similar number of schools with early years provision, a focus group of consultants and advisers is leading the development of creative approaches to learning inspired by the Reggio Approach in its settings, organising speakers from Sightlines Initiative and delivering training to support the wider team of consultants.

At Oatlands Community Infant School in Harrogate, interest in the Reggio Approach began with a series of coincidences in 2004. Linda Hardy, who was one of the school's reception teachers and is now one of the local authority consultants, visited the 'Hundred Languages' exhibition, and a Higher Level Teaching Assistant, Karen McLeod, had learned about Reggio from training courses.

The school also had the opportunity to use and resource an empty room and discovered the wonderful resources available at the local scrap store. The school staff were about to move to observation-based planning and assessment. Karen McLeod, who has an arts background, was supported by the recently retired head teacher, Janet Davis, and teaching staff in developing creative projects with the children.

The work begain with a focus on large-scale collaborative models, with children contributing ideas and practitioners going along with their suggestions. Over time, the experiences offered to the children in the room have developed, with role play and stage areas and resources for exploring light and shadow, sound, ICT, textiles and visual art media being added.

A table where Ms McLeod teaches specific techniques - print making, clay techniques, colour mixing - is always available. Children are free to join this experience and then to use their skills in whatever way they choose, perhaps combining them with the wide range of interesting and well-organised resources, which include recycled and natural materials. Children learning and experimenting in this way draw other, less confident children in to try things out for themselves.

The range of projects undertaken and the way the practitioner works in following and supporting children's creative leads have developed over time. Ms McLeod observes children's thinking by watching and listening carefully to their ideas and preoccupations, thinks about what she has observed and then provides resources and equipment that might provoke their interests further.

The staff remark that the children are more confident to try new experiences, to experiment and take risks with their own ideas. The creative sessions provide a rich opportunity to foster the children's self-esteem, to develop understanding and skills across all areas of learning and to establish 'the unique child' as the focus of activity.

The documentation of the children's experiences contributes directly to the picture that the class teacher builds of each child. Ms McLeod engages in discussion with teachers about individual and group interests and the progress made. Time is set aside for this important work. The current head teacher, Elizabeth Robson, is keen to see the creative work developed further, both in the EYFS and into Key Stage One, through ongoing cross-curricular work and in extra-curricular activities.

Parents and carers are closely linked to all aspects of the work of Oatlands Infant School. The staff have used presentations on the Reggio Approach to increase their awareness of the learning processes of young children in their broadest sense. Parents have commented to staff that they can see how significant the Reggio Approach has been in contributing to a rich learning environment for their children.

CASE STUDY: Reflections Nursery, Worthing

Martin Pace, managing director of Reflections Nursery, a 115-place day nursery in Worthing, says the setting has been influenced by the Reggio Approach since 2003.

In Reflections Nursery, three adults with different creative skills take the lead in developing creative short-term and long-term projects building on the children's interests and theories about the world and how it works.

Staff in the nursery have been involved in study tours to Reggio Emilia over the past four years and have been developing their understanding of the importance of adults scaffolding children's learning and development through well-informed formative observational assessment.

Emphasis is placed on documenting children's learning, which is shared with parents and the wider community. The nursery is a learning community where practitioners are encouraged to reflect on their practice and to develop a deeper understanding of how children learn.

In light of the nursery's approach of developing children's ideas in depth through long-term projects, Mr Pace feels that one of the most significant messages for early years practitioners was articulated by Amelia Gambetti, executive co-ordinator of the organisation Reggio Children, and elucidated several times in different ways throughout the UK study tour to Reggio Emilia in April this year. She said, 'We have a reputation in Reggio for going with children's interests. Be careful with this. Children will lead you where they want to take you. That may be from one idea, to another, to another.

'If the role of the teacher in Reggio is to support children's learning, then we need to observe children when they stop doing one thing and want to move on to another, to find out why. In our experience, it is usually when they encounter a problem. So, again ask yourselves what you should be doing as a teacher to support children's learning ... allowing them to go from one thing to another, to another, or to support their problem solving. And if it is to support their problem solving - then, how?'

Reflective practice

In Reggio Emilia, all members of staff in the infant-toddler centres and pre-schools are constantly engaged in reflective practice. They see their approach to early childhood services as an ongoing research project where educators strive to learn more about children and their ways of learning. Many professionals and organisations in the UK have been influenced by this demanding way of working.

CASE STUDY: Madeley Nursery School, Telford

Madeley Nursery School in Telford has a deep commitment to ongoing reflective enquiry into the approach of the Reggio Emilia pre-schools and infant-toddler centres, a journey which began ten years ago. The school governors recruited the current head teacher, Louise Lowings, to continue their work as a 'researching school'.

The Reggio Approach influences the school in many ways, most fundamentally in the school's values of working together with families as colleagues, of celebrating the phenomenal potential of children and adults as learners, and developing creativity among the whole school community.

Staff keep reflective journals which contain the traces of the children's learning alongside reflections on the action of educators in developing learning and teaching. They endeavour to make learning visible through displays of learning and teaching in progress, inviting the invaluable contributions of families, children and visitors to give a richer understanding.

All educators have time allocated for documentation each week, and engage in reflection as a staff team at the end of each session. Staff members have a weekly opportunity for professional dialogue in greater depth during an hour-long pedagogy meeting, which is open to all and is regularly attended by a school governor and a teaching colleague from the local authority.

The school continues to draw inspiration and challenge from the ReFocus network of like-minded colleagues across the West Midlands.

Louise Lowings says, 'Being inspired by Reggio is not always a comfortable experience; it makes you think and question your practice, leads you to take risks and aspire highly for children and for yourselves as educators.'

REFERENCES AND USEFUL INFORMATION

• Rinaldi, C, 'Documentation and research' in In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, Researching and Learning (2006). Routledge

• Thornton, L and Brunton, P, Understanding the Reggio Approach: Early Years Education in Practice (2009). Routledge

• Thornton, L and Brunton, P, Bringing the Reggio Approach to Your Early Years Practice (2010). Routledge

• Reggio Children, the organisation which manages the pedagogical and cultural exchange initiatives in Reggio Emilia: www.zerosei.commune.re.it

• Sightlines Initiative, the UK reference agency for Reggio Children - information, books, UK study tours and host of the ReFocus network: www.sightlines-initiative.com