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Basic Principles The Reggio Emilia philosophy is a continually evolving dynamic process defined and refined by its primary stakeholdersteachers, children, parents, and the community. It is grounded in an image of children as innately competent and powerful with the right to a stake in decision making about their learning. Malaguzzi drew from the ideas of […]

Reggio Emilia Shortly after World War II, a teacher named Loris Malaguzzi (19201994) founded a series of municipal preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. When they were designated the best in the world by Newsweek in 1991, (Kantrowitz & Wingert, p. 50) these schools became widely known in America. Early childhood educators began to visit the

Role of the Teacher According to the Bank Street approach, “We think of curriculum not as a series of recipes for activities, but rather as the opportunities for experience you offer children that help them deepen their understanding of the world. The curriculum is the sum of those opportunities and it is created through a

The Bank Street Classroom Scholastic Studio / Getty Images We associate things like a cozy reading corner and quiet space in the classroom with the Bank Street curriculum. Teachers consider the environment in a Bank Street classroom to be a powerful messenger in that it communicates key values and philosophical beliefs. For example, the orderly

1916 to 1930 Developmental Interaction Approach (Bank Street) Time Line 1930s to 1960s 1960s to Today Experimental/progressive origins/ political reform agenda Psychodynamic psychological orientation developed Formalized articulation of approach/labeling as “model” Organizational period Psychological Basis Practices derived from philosophical, cognitive, and psychological constructs The Bank Street Classroom Scholastic Studio / Getty Images We associate things

The Project Approach: The Developmental-Interaction Approach An early-twentieth-century approach (Kilpatrick, 1918) to learning through long-term study of topics that allowed teachers to integrate different areas of the curriculum is enjoying something of a reemergence as the Project Approach (PA). The PA is most closely associated with Lilian Katz and Sylvia Chard, who describe the project

Teacher as Performer A Waldorf teacher could be considered a “performer,” as a primary function of the teacher is to demonstrate activities and model exemplary behavior, since Steiner believed that children are highly motivated to imitate adults and real life through play. Another important idea in the Waldorf curriculum is the concept of natural rhythm;

  The Use of Didactic Materials and Practical Activities Vanessa Davies / Getty Images The materials used in many of today’s Montessori programs were inspired by the objects originally developed by Maria Montessori more than a hundred years ago. This image shows a child using the “sandpaper letters,” which provide sensory reinforcement of the shape

The Prepared Environment Montessori classrooms are orderly and calm, and the environment is carefully organized and sequenced. The classroom is characterized by three primary areas: practical life, sensory materials, and academic materials for reading, writing, and mathematics. Montessori children are free to move about the classroom but must stay on their chosen tasks and use

The Absorbent Mind The principle of the absorbent mind refers primarily to the notion that children have an innate desire to learn. Further, they are intrinsically motivated to communicate and particularly disposed to learn through imitation and practice (Montessori, 1949). This principle has significant implications for the role of Montessori teachers, as their primary obligation