At the heart of a successful approach to education is the belief that children have a natural curiosity and desire to learn. They are not just empty slates, waiting to be filled with facts and figures. This approach enables them to become thriving citizens with responsibility, respect and a sense of community. Reggio Emilia Schools in Mclean VA are benefiting from over forty years of experience gained in schools in Italy practicing this approach.
Children in these schools are offered a flexible curriculum instead of a rigid one passed down unchanged from generation to generation. Lessons are based around the thoughts, ideas and observations of the child. The goal is to cultivate a passion for exploration and learning that will last a lifetime.
The fact that the students themselves are allowed to direct the pace at which they learn, is very helpful, particularly for those who may have difficulties with concentration or other problems. They are not forced to go at a pace they cannot handle but move on when they feel ready. Students do not have to memorize facts for tests to determine whether they are fit to progress or not.
Teachers found in such a school also operate very differently from the norm. Children are encouraged to interact with them instead of simply being required to sit still and listen to them. They are more like guides and nurturers. They take their cues from the students and simply facilitate the process of learning that happens naturally.
In a school based on this approach, children are encouraged to use all of their senses to experience the world around them, instead of just sitting still and listening. This method means they are more likely to remember and apply these skills when encountering problems in later life. Communication, creativity and symbolic skills are developed by means of movement, painting, drawing, shadow play, music. Materials and language are used to make their thinking visible.
There is no such thing as passing or failing and this frees children to use each opportunity to grow without focusing on marks. Exams and tests force children to assimilate facts and regurgitate them, often without understanding them. This method allows them to absorb more meaningful knowledge that helps them to develop skills and values required for growth and future functioning in society.
Parents are regarded as an important part of the process of learning. They are intimately involved and teachers and parents exchange ideas. Documentation in the form of photographs and transcriptions of words and dialogue are kept for parents to see. This documentation also helps teachers to evaluate their work and understand their students better.
Children discover what they understand, know, question, imagine and feel and then communicate this. They do this by being given the freedom to learn what they want to learn at their own pace. Teachers, parents and children are all involved in the learning process but the child is at the center, developing into a responsible, respectful, insightful, creative adult well able to function fruitfully in society.
Children in these schools are offered a flexible curriculum instead of a rigid one passed down unchanged from generation to generation. Lessons are based around the thoughts, ideas and observations of the child. The goal is to cultivate a passion for exploration and learning that will last a lifetime.
The fact that the students themselves are allowed to direct the pace at which they learn, is very helpful, particularly for those who may have difficulties with concentration or other problems. They are not forced to go at a pace they cannot handle but move on when they feel ready. Students do not have to memorize facts for tests to determine whether they are fit to progress or not.
Teachers found in such a school also operate very differently from the norm. Children are encouraged to interact with them instead of simply being required to sit still and listen to them. They are more like guides and nurturers. They take their cues from the students and simply facilitate the process of learning that happens naturally.
In a school based on this approach, children are encouraged to use all of their senses to experience the world around them, instead of just sitting still and listening. This method means they are more likely to remember and apply these skills when encountering problems in later life. Communication, creativity and symbolic skills are developed by means of movement, painting, drawing, shadow play, music. Materials and language are used to make their thinking visible.
There is no such thing as passing or failing and this frees children to use each opportunity to grow without focusing on marks. Exams and tests force children to assimilate facts and regurgitate them, often without understanding them. This method allows them to absorb more meaningful knowledge that helps them to develop skills and values required for growth and future functioning in society.
Parents are regarded as an important part of the process of learning. They are intimately involved and teachers and parents exchange ideas. Documentation in the form of photographs and transcriptions of words and dialogue are kept for parents to see. This documentation also helps teachers to evaluate their work and understand their students better.
Children discover what they understand, know, question, imagine and feel and then communicate this. They do this by being given the freedom to learn what they want to learn at their own pace. Teachers, parents and children are all involved in the learning process but the child is at the center, developing into a responsible, respectful, insightful, creative adult well able to function fruitfully in society.