Reggio Emilia approach

The Reggio Emilia approach is an educational philosophy focused on preschool and primary education. It was developed after World War II by a psychologist Loris Malaguzzi, and parents in the villages around Reggio Emilia in Italy. Following the war, people believed that children were in need of a new way of learning. The assumption of Malaguzzi and the parents was that people form their own personality during early years of development and that children are endowed with "a hundred languages" through which they can express their ideas. The aim of this approach is teaching how to use these symbolic languages (e.g., painting, sculpting, drama) in everyday life. The program is based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment based on the interests of the children through a self-guided curriculum.

During the post-World War II era, a “…desire to bring change and create anew, the first municipal preschool was opened, while across Italy there was a great economic and social development: in the late 1960s the schools were transferred to the city government for operation and financing.

In the 1970s Malaguzzi’s method was known and appreciated by many educators especially thanks to the first exhibit opened in Sweden at the Modern Museet in Stockholm. Meanwhile, in Italy the National Group for Work and Study on Infant Toddler Centers was formed.

On May 24, 1994, the non-profit organization Friends of Reggio Children International Association was founded to promote the work of Loris Malaguzzi and organize professional development and cultural events. In November 2002, during the annual conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children in Chicago, the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance was formally launched as an organization.

In 2003 the municipality of Reggio Emilia chose to manage the system and the network of school services and toddler centers by forming a sort of association: Istituzione Scuole e Nidi d'Infanzia. In this way, municipal schools and preschools can have their independent programs and activities, but they are supported by the public sector of the government.

In February 2006, the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre opened. It is a dedicated meeting place in Reggio Emilia, Italy, for professional development and research of the philosophy. The non-profit Reggio Children-Loris Malaguzzi Centre Foundation was officially established on September 29, 2011 at the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre of Reggio Emilia with the aim of “Education and research to improve the lives of people and communities, in Reggio Emilia and in the world”.

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