Reggio Emilia Approach at Manor Oak Nursery

The Reggio Emilia approach is a way of observing what children know, are curious about and what challenges them.  Practitioners record these observations to reflect on developmentally appropriate ways to help children expand their academic and social potentials.

Reggio Emilia philosophy is based upon the following principles:

• Children must have some control over the direction of their learning.
• Children must be able to learn through experiences of touching, moving, listening, seeing and hearing.
• Children have a relationship with other children and with material items in the world that children must be allowed to explore.
• Children must have endless ways and opportunities to express themselves.

Children have a hundred languages of expression and at Manor Oak we seek to support all of those languages by offering resources, time and space, supported by experienced educators.

It allows children to develop individually at their own pace.  Within the Reggio Emilia approach, the environment  plays an important role, children are given the freedom to explore and discover and in-turn learn and develop many skills such as negotiation, confidence, social skills, literacy and maths.

A big part of Reggio Emilia approach at Manor Oak is using intelligent materials (loose part play):

• Emphasis is placed on creative expression
• Loose parts objects are chosen carefully to provide another stimulus for the children to express themselves.
• Great care afforded to presentation and organisation.
• Practitioner responsibility choosing materials carefully and presenting them.

Loose parts includes natural materials; recycled materials; prepared items e.g. blocks; large scale construction - wooden planks, tyres, netting, guttering.

Future plans:

• Continue to collect natural and recycled materials for loose part play.
• As parents as partners is an essential part of Reggio Emilia - continue to build on parental involvement within the nursery.
• To eventually have an artist in residence (atelierista) working with children on their explorations of drawing, painting and working with clay, wire and other sculptural materials.