Why the Reggio Emilia Approach for PreSchool?

3/21/2018

Why did we choose this approach and what is so incredibly special about it? Here are a couple of articles that help illuminate the many benefits of this holistic academic approach.

The Jewish Nature of Reggio Emilia Early Childhood Education
By Dr. Gabe Goldman, Director of Outdoor Jewish Classroom and Pittsburgh Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative/Bonim Beyachad Consultant

“The best way to describe my foray into discovering “what’s Jewish” about Reggio is by quoting Ben Bag-Bag (one of the Sages in Talmud), “Turn it and turn it again for everything is in it…” (Pirke Avot 5:26) Of course, Ben Bag-Bag was talking about the Torah, but the more I understand Reggio the more I see how profoundly intertwined with Jewish belief, practice and tradition it is. This connection begins with the way Reggio and Judaism view children. They share a view of children as capable learners, with individual abilities, who have a right to an education.”

5 Ways Kids Learn at A Reggio Inspired Preschool
By Ilana Wiles, Mommyshorts

“At the very core of the Reggio Approach is the concept of wonder. Wonder as an act that begins the process of learning and wonder as an integral quality within all children. Reggio educators view children as natural scientists; driven by curiosity, with tremendous observational skills and an ability to form strong theories about the world around them. They consider a child’s creative expression (especially in preliterate stages), as his way of communicating what he understands about the world around him.”

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