Reading Matters Winter 2018

chairs. Some students also made use of their colorful markers to highlight any important pieces of information in the questions. The teacher did not watch the students like a hawk; but instead, she granted the students with the responsibility to complete the task in a way that set them up for the best success. What can be learned from the Reggio Emilia Approach for Literacy? The Reggio Emilia approach draws from many different ideas about the best way young children learn. This was evident while being in the schools, observing how the teachers interacted with the students, and how the students interacted with the environment. The approach focuses on some key things that help make it more than just a curriculum, but rather a lifestyle that one must adopt to help it flourish and be successful. Why not apply this approach to literacy in the United States? If we know that children are active constructors of knowledge, why not view the teacher as a guide and as a researcher that is embarking on the journey of learning alongside the children? This can be incorporated into schools in the United States in several different ways that would help both the teachers, and the students. The Reggio Emilia approach sees children as competent individuals that are capable of almost anything. They learn best by exploring through hands-on activities, not a convergent way of thinking. This idea can be easily incorporated into the United States schools, because it is an idea about children, rather than something tangible that needs to be implemented. consider Malaguzzi’s hundred languages and realize that by defining literacy in a myopic way we eliminate ninety-nine other possibilities including the arts. 2) The rights of children extend beyond the basic needs. This notion, if brought to the classroom, would empower students’ learning because children will have a stake in what is being taught. 3) Embracing and adopting the cultural difference of the Reggio Emilia Approach would be beneficial to both, the students and teachers. Caring for the needs of children, implementing the arts on a regular basis, and considering a deeper, more comprehensive form of assessment could provide an environment which fosters a sense of empowerment for students in their education. When applied to teaching literacy, these three takeaways can have powerful implications on the learning process. Human beings innately want to learn and be respected, the Reggio Emilia Approach does just that. Believing that children can accomplish anything, and that they can achieve this through exploring and experimenting in and around the classroom, is crucial to the success of the Reggio Emilia approach. This approach can offer a whole new idea of thinking about how children work, and the best way they learn. This can be easily implemented into schools in the United States, by taking extra time to observe the children, taking notes on what interests them, and how they learn about those things. However, the Reggio The authors state three valuable takeaways from this enriching and paradigm shifting experience: 1) We, as educators, should

Emilia approach could be difficult to implement in United States schools, because it requires everyone to alter their thoughts on children not only the way they learn but how they learn. Although, when done effectively, it can make a sizable impact on everyone involved. Instead of eliminating ninety-nine of the hundred languages, literacy educators should encompass all one hundred. References

Reading Matters Teaching Matters

Blake, D. & Hanley, V. (1995) Dictionary of Educational Terms, Aldershot, Arena.

Cutcher, A. (2013). Art spoken here: Reggio Emilia for the big kids. International Journal of Art & Design Education, 32, 318-330.

Dodd-Nufrio, A. (2011). Reggio Emilia, Maria Montessori, and John Dewey: Dispelling Teachers’Misconceptions and Understanding Theoretical Foundations. In Early Childhood Education. Vol 39, (4) 235-237. Edwards, C. P. (2002). Three approaches from EuropeWaldorf Montessori and Reggio Emilia. Early Childhood Research & Practice.4(1). Retrieved from http:// go.galegroup.com.nuncio.cofc.edu/ps/i.do?p=PROF&sw=w&u=cofc_main&v=2. 1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA134246973&asid=3f14c195fc87c524722dab6894eea61c Fernandez-Santin, M., & Torruella, M. (2017). Reggio Emilia: An Essential Tool to Develop Critical Thinking in Early Childhood. Journal of New Approaches in Educational Research. 6 (1). 50-56.

Gandini, L. (1993). Fundamentals of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. Young Children , 49 (1), 4-8.

Hewett, V. M. (2001). Examining the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Journal , 29 (2), 95-100.

Kang, J. (2007). How many languages can reggio children speak? Many more than a hundred. Gifted Child Today, 30 (3), 45-48 & 65.

Linn, M. I. (2001). An American educator reflects on the meaning of the Reggio experience. Phi Delta Kappan , 83 (4), 332.

Malaguzzi, L. (1993a). For an education based on relationships. Young Children, 49 (1), 9–12.

Malaguzzi, L (1993b). History, ideas, and basic philosophy. In C. Edwards, L. Gandini, & G. Forman (Eds.), The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education (pp. 41–89). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

Malaguzzi, L. (1994). Your image of the child: where teaching begins. Child Care Information Exchange , 3, 52–61.

Riddle, C. (2017). Statement on literacy and visual arts in the South Carolina academic standards for the visual and performing arts. Retrieved from file:/// Users/hunterdonigertl/Desktop/AcademicStandardsforVisualArts.pdf Robinson, K. (2013) How to Escape Education’s Death Valley. TED talks. Available at: www.ted. com/talks/ken _ robinson _ how _ to _ escape _ education _ s _ death _ valley.html

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