Where it began
After the Second World War, families in and around Reggio Emilia wanted a new kind of school for their young children: one that would raise thoughtful, independent people. Parents built some of the first schools themselves.
A young teacher, Loris Malaguzzi, joined them and spent the rest of his career shaping the approach. The town opened its first municipal preschool in 1963, and its infant-toddler centres and preschools are still run by the city today. Educators from around the world, including many from Australia, travel there to study them.
Key ideas
Reggio Emilia is not a fixed method with a manual. It is a set of shared beliefs that each community brings to life in its own way.
The capable child
Children are seen as competent from birth, with rights, opinions and theories about how the world works.
The hundred languages
Children express ideas in many ways: drawing, painting, clay, wire, music, movement, building and talk. Each one counts.
Environment as third teacher
After adults and other children, the room itself teaches. Light, mirrors, natural materials and open space invite exploration.
Projects
A question from the children, such as why shadows move, can grow into an investigation that lasts days or weeks.
Documentation
Educators record children's words, photos and work, then use them to plan next steps and share learning with families.
Families as partners
Parents are part of the learning community, contributing ideas, skills and time.
A day in a Reggio-inspired room
You will rarely see worksheets or every child making the same craft. Instead, small groups gather around something that caught their interest.
Imagine a group noticed a spider web on the fence. Over the next fortnight they might draw webs, weave their own with wool on a frame, look at photos of spiders, build a giant web outdoors and dictate a story about it. The educator listens, asks open questions, adds materials and writes down what the children say. On the wall, panels of photos and quotes show the project as it grows.
Many centres have an atelier, a studio space stocked with art materials, light tables and natural objects, where children can return to an idea again and again.
How it helps children
- Confidence to share ideas. When adults take their thinking seriously, children learn their voice matters.
- Deep focus. Long projects teach children to stay with a question, test ideas and try again.
- Working together. Small-group work builds listening, negotiation and the habit of building on someone else's idea.
- Rich communication. Drawing, building and talking about ideas grows vocabulary and early symbolic thinking.
- Creativity. Children become comfortable using materials in new and unexpected ways.
Things to weigh up
Every approach suits some children and families more than others. A few points to think about:
- Quality depends heavily on the educators. Following children's interests well takes skill, training and time to document.
- The name is not certified. Any centre can call itself Reggio-inspired, so look at what actually happens in the room.
- Learning is less visible as tidy take-home crafts. Ask to see the documentation instead, which often shows far more.
- If school readiness matters to you, ask how early literacy and numeracy are woven into projects.
Reggio ideas sit comfortably with Australia's national framework. Many Australian centres blend them with play-based learning and nature play.
How it links to the EYLF
The Early Years Learning Framework does not prescribe one approach, but several of its principles and practices echo Reggio Emilia closely.
| Reggio idea | Where it shows up in the EYLF |
|---|---|
| The hundred languages | Outcome 5: children are effective communicators, expressing ideas through a range of media |
| Projects from children's questions | Outcome 4: confident and involved learners who investigate, hypothesise and research |
| Documentation | The practice of assessment and evaluation for learning, development and wellbeing |
| Families as partners | The principle of partnerships with families |
| Environment as third teacher | The practice of learning environments that are welcoming, flexible and inviting |
When you visit a centre
Look for
- Children's own words and photos displayed on the walls
- Natural, open-ended materials within children's reach
- Small groups working on different things at once
- Educators listening and asking questions more than directing
Questions to ask
- What project are the children working on right now, and how did it start?
- How will I see what my child is learning?
- What training have educators had in this approach?
- How can families take part?