Reggio emilia schools in hcmc use an approach to early childhood education wherein the child is seen as an individual who’s curious about their world. The approach also believes that the child can learn from everything that they’re surrounded by. This is why educational, psychological, and sociological factors are all taken into consideration when stimulating children in their learning environment. To do this teachers will expose the children in their care to a lot of learning opportunities in which they’re able to express themselves, communicate, think logically, and solve problems.

Creating an Environment for Learning

There are four main principles that educators employ in creating a learning environment.

First, the classroom’s curriculum should stem from the interests of the children therein. To do this teachers must talk to the children and their families before planning projects that are well suited for their classroom. As they create plans and gather together materials they also look for ways for the community to become involved.

Secondly, it’s important for children to engage in in-depth projects so they can gather enough information to thoroughly study the concept they’re interested in. These studies can last anywhere from a week to an entire school year. Throughout them, the teacher is responsible for acting as an advisor but they leave the choice of research and materials up to the student.

Thirdly, students are introduced to new ideas in a variety of ways (e.g. print, art, drama, music, puppetry). This is done to ensure that every child is able to understand the concepts that are being presented.

Fourth and finally, it’s believed that collaboration plays a necessary role in cognitive development. This is why groups of various sizes work together in a variety of ways. Throughout this engagement, each child is given the opportunity to be heard so they feel as though they belong.

The Role of the Teacher and the Learning Environment

Teachers are there to learn alongside the children by engaging in Reggio emilia schools in hcmc with them. They’re also there to act as both a guide and a resource. This is why they carefully observe the child and track their growth – something they’re responsible for also documenting through photos and dictation which are shared with both the students and their parents.

The classroom is seen as the “third teacher.” Great care is taken in constructing an environment that allows for the easy exploration of each child’s interests. It also includes items from the student’s home (e.g. dishware, tablecloths, plants, animals) so they feel comfortable while in school.