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The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education
Reggio Emilia is a city of 130,000 people in the prosperous and progressive Emilia Romagna region of northern Italy. Its municipal early childhood system has been recognized and acclaimed as one of the best systems of education in the world ( Newsweek , December 2, 1991). Over the past 30 years, the system has evolved a distinctive and innovative set of philosophical assumptions, curriculum and pedagogy; method of school organization; and design environments which, taken as a unified whole, is called the Reggio Emilia approach. This approach fosters children's intellectual development through systematic focus on symbolic representation, as children are encouraged to explore their environment and express themselves through words, movement, drawing, painting, playing, and other natural modes of expression. The Hundred Languages of Children offers a comprehensive exploration of the Reggio Emilia approach. It provides a unique forum in which noted Italian and North American educators and administrators who are involved in or studying the program examine its origins, explain its rationale and practice, and demonstrate how its principles can be applied in American classrooms. … This volume deserves careful reading, for it dispels the prevailing view of Reggio as an art-education curriculum and casts it as a comprehensive child development program. … a comfortable, stimulating thought journey … -Carol Brunson Phillips, Executive Director, Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition, Washington, D.C. … a remarkable collection of essays which provide the reader with a much more thorough understanding of this approach to the education of young children … If American educators read only one book on early childhood education this year, let it be this one. -Dimensions of Early Childhood. … this book makes a unique and important contribution to early childhood education. It no doubt will be considered a valuable resource by early childhood educators everywhere … -Holistic Education, Carol Seefeldt, Institute of Child Study, University of Maryland … a rich resource … a comfort and a challenge to anyone in the Expeditionary Learning Community … - Outward Bound, newsletter of Expeditionary Learning, Leah Rugen,
342 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 3, 2022
A seminal topic for anybody who works with children. Great for critical reflection on practice, as a basis for research and as an inspiration. The Reggio Emilia early childhood education system is one of the few alternatives to the individualistic approach of neo-liberal education systems, with enough clout to be taken seriously.
April 24, 2015
It's hard for me to rate this book because, while very comprehensive, it was not for me. It is a deeply pedagogical book and I am not an educator. I am a parent looking to expand my understanding of how my child is capable of learning, and trying to understand how I can approach both her learning (at home) and her education (at school) so that she is fully supported.
This book would be a wonderful resource for education specialists, school administrators and teachers. It would and should also be in the hands of urban studies students and education policy makers. It is a deep look at how the town of Reggio Emilia reinvented early child education, literally from the ground up, and all that they have learned in the intervening 60 years.
It is not a resource for parents of small children - BIG book, tiny print, heavy on the theory, dry writing.
This book would be a wonderful resource for education specialists, school administrators and teachers. It would and should also be in the hands of urban studies students and education policy makers. It is a deep look at how the town of Reggio Emilia reinvented early child education, literally from the ground up, and all that they have learned in the intervening 60 years.
It is not a resource for parents of small children - BIG book, tiny print, heavy on the theory, dry writing.
March 26, 2009
getting ILL
Definitely not what I was looking for. I wanted an intro to Reggio Emilia, and this book is a scholarly discussion. Bit out of context for me.
Definitely not what I was looking for. I wanted an intro to Reggio Emilia, and this book is a scholarly discussion. Bit out of context for me.
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September 24, 2022Gradinita dupa modelul familei la Reggio in case cu mobila confortabila, aceiasi profesori vreme de 3 ani, copii de varste diferite, cooperare, responsabilitatea si ajutorul tuturor la punerea mesei, asezarea rechizitelor, alegerea proiectelor etc vs termenul rece preschool(care te duce cu gandul la un soi de prefabricate) si modelul corporatist din US, profesori care se schimba cand abia ajung sa creeze o relatie cu copii si parinti, teme standardizate(toata lumea trebuie sa faca acelasi desen pentru aceeasi tema), numarul mare de clase speciale, pentru copii cu dizabilitati etc(ca si al produselor defecte care mai trebuie refacute).
"If nature has commanded that of all the animals, infancy shall last longest in human beings-infinitely long, says Tolstoy-it is because nature knows how many rivers there are to cross and paths to retrace. Nature provides time for mistakes to be corrected(by both children and adults), for prejudices to be overcome, and for children to catch their breath and restore their images of themselves, peers, parents, teachers, and the world."
Proiectul The Crowd, plecand de la ceva ce au povestit copiii despre vacanta. Si s-a ajuns la a invata sa se deseneze oameni si animale si din profil.
Proiectul despre umbre.
Proiectul The City and the rain.
Spatiul, al doisprezecelea jucator.
Copii de 5 ani făcând broșură de bun venit în grădiniță pentru cei mai mici ce încep grădinița.
Copiii cu dizabilitati au prioritate in scolile normale, nu au insotitori, ci clasa respectiva are un profesor in plus, care se ocupa de toti elevii, nu numai de cel cu dizabilitati. Plus ca dizabilitati sau comportament autistic in alte tari nu sunt catalogate astfel in Reggio Emilia. "The family that symbollically locks itself inside the home represents a defeat for all of us, for the entire city".
Proiectul dinozaur si materialele folosite, masuratorile, renuntarea la somnul de dupa amiaza, diferentele dintre fete si baieti.
Proiect plecand de la intrebarea unui copil daca fiecare purcelus mananca destul.
"When rain leaves a puddle, thanks to the good fortune of there being a hole in the ground and a little sunshine, children are full of joy"
Exit interview
The city and the snow. Ce/cum acopera zapada in oras, estimari si probe.
Proiectul bicicleta sau al tatilor si muncii lor, acesta din urma la clasa intai.
Concluzia: nu e o scoala bazata pe arta. Poate pe oratorie?
"If nature has commanded that of all the animals, infancy shall last longest in human beings-infinitely long, says Tolstoy-it is because nature knows how many rivers there are to cross and paths to retrace. Nature provides time for mistakes to be corrected(by both children and adults), for prejudices to be overcome, and for children to catch their breath and restore their images of themselves, peers, parents, teachers, and the world."
Proiectul The Crowd, plecand de la ceva ce au povestit copiii despre vacanta. Si s-a ajuns la a invata sa se deseneze oameni si animale si din profil.
Proiectul despre umbre.
Proiectul The City and the rain.
Spatiul, al doisprezecelea jucator.
Copii de 5 ani făcând broșură de bun venit în grădiniță pentru cei mai mici ce încep grădinița.
Copiii cu dizabilitati au prioritate in scolile normale, nu au insotitori, ci clasa respectiva are un profesor in plus, care se ocupa de toti elevii, nu numai de cel cu dizabilitati. Plus ca dizabilitati sau comportament autistic in alte tari nu sunt catalogate astfel in Reggio Emilia. "The family that symbollically locks itself inside the home represents a defeat for all of us, for the entire city".
Proiectul dinozaur si materialele folosite, masuratorile, renuntarea la somnul de dupa amiaza, diferentele dintre fete si baieti.
Proiect plecand de la intrebarea unui copil daca fiecare purcelus mananca destul.
"When rain leaves a puddle, thanks to the good fortune of there being a hole in the ground and a little sunshine, children are full of joy"
Exit interview
The city and the snow. Ce/cum acopera zapada in oras, estimari si probe.
Proiectul bicicleta sau al tatilor si muncii lor, acesta din urma la clasa intai.
Concluzia: nu e o scoala bazata pe arta. Poate pe oratorie?
June 13, 2018
Such a valuable resource for those with a deep interest in the Reggio movement. I instantly reread a bunch of these chapters which is a sure sign of my enjoyment. The chapters on documentation were of the most importance for me, chapters 12-15 as well as 16 & 17, discussing movement through experiences and trying to understand the meaning making children are generating through those experiences.
September 15, 2016
Congratulations to me for reading the entire thing!
Every time there was a large photo or two pages of References or a blank page between chapters I got excited.
Every time there was a large photo or two pages of References or a blank page between chapters I got excited.
April 3, 2018
Loris Malaguzzi was the founder of the post WWII Italy educational program for children birth to 6 years in Reggio Emilia. The distinctly anti-fascist curriculum was embraced by the municipal government, parents and educators and has inspired programs around the world. This collection of essays is as inspiring as it is informative.
July 21, 2020
This is *the* book to read to understand Reggio Emilia, rather than reading other educators' interpretations on their education blogs (and there are a lot of interpretations out there). From here, I got a better sense of what to research next. The conclusion and the sections on pedagogical documentation were the most useful for me.
September 8, 2017
While intriguing and full of good information, I found it lacking in practical examples for secondary teachers.
I can say that it seems to confirm the benefit of Project-Based Learning and the "modeling" approach to science courses.
I can say that it seems to confirm the benefit of Project-Based Learning and the "modeling" approach to science courses.
March 18, 2021
Really enjoyed this book, as it improved my understanding of what reggio emilia is and isn't. It doesn't have many practical options, and it is very long and dense. That is why I didn't give it four stars. I think I would have been lost if this was my first introduction to reggio emilia.
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April 13, 2023I have owned this book for an embarrassingly long time, upwards of ten years, and had not read it. I finally picked it up this year. I think it was a little uneven in quality of essay/study. The book opens with a series of interviews of various famous Reggio Emilia people by Lela Gandini. I'm not sure if they were translated into English and something was lost in translation or if Gandini just wasn't a very good interviewer or if the questions were inserted after the fact to break up and shape the material. The answers frequently do not directly answer the questions asked. They often become long-winded lectures full of lingo that sounds intellectual but is mostly meaningless. If Gandini was actually asking the questions they are either too broad or too narrow to elicit useful answers and she seems loathe to interrupt her subjects lectures to clarify or bring them back to the question at hand. It makes for a very frustrating first six or so chapters that contain a few nuggets. But you really have to dig for them and frankly I zoned out a lot so I probably missed some.
After that slog things do improve. There are still several chapters with lingo and dry writing that don't feel overly helpful for painting how Reggio Emilia principles could successfully be brought into an American context, but there is still interesting information in them.
I think for me the most disheartening thing to think about is that this book is nearly 30 years old and they things they gripe about- lack of funding and interest in high quality early childhood education for all American children plus a lack of policy that values families and children (like universal preschool and childcare and solid, supportive parental leave) and an over reliance on standardized testing- have only gotten worse over the intervening years. While most of the programs that report on how they successfully and joyfully used Reggio Emilia as a model in their classrooms and schools had some support it seems less likely that they would be able to implement or continue those successes today.
But not to end on a downer, I did find the book inspiring and reinvigorating for my passion for this type of deep work with children and the faith and confidence in the intelligence of young children. I had forgotten how much I love more progressive models of education. Also the conclusion at the end has an incredibly helpful bullet list of ideas that pulls out some of the lessons from across the book and would be a good entry for someone who is still a little unsure of how to begin working in the Reggio way.
After that slog things do improve. There are still several chapters with lingo and dry writing that don't feel overly helpful for painting how Reggio Emilia principles could successfully be brought into an American context, but there is still interesting information in them.
I think for me the most disheartening thing to think about is that this book is nearly 30 years old and they things they gripe about- lack of funding and interest in high quality early childhood education for all American children plus a lack of policy that values families and children (like universal preschool and childcare and solid, supportive parental leave) and an over reliance on standardized testing- have only gotten worse over the intervening years. While most of the programs that report on how they successfully and joyfully used Reggio Emilia as a model in their classrooms and schools had some support it seems less likely that they would be able to implement or continue those successes today.
But not to end on a downer, I did find the book inspiring and reinvigorating for my passion for this type of deep work with children and the faith and confidence in the intelligence of young children. I had forgotten how much I love more progressive models of education. Also the conclusion at the end has an incredibly helpful bullet list of ideas that pulls out some of the lessons from across the book and would be a good entry for someone who is still a little unsure of how to begin working in the Reggio way.
September 4, 2024
This book was encouraged to read by my boss at the daycare I work at. Might I say how dreadful it was to read. Although there are some good things about the Reggio Emilia approach, I find there are better ways to teach children especially this young. Did it teach me stuff? No not really but hey at least this gave me another book to submit for my school’s summer HW. There are a lot of flaws in this system especially if you are in New York City.
July 11, 2017
This is a must read for teachers of all levels!
April 24, 2022
This is the book to read if you are in education and want to really deepen your knowledge on Reggio Emilia. Not a light read, more of a study but one I will definitely refer back to often.
May 4, 2021
I used this book for my Essay for my Master in Early Childhood Education.It’s the perfect book if you want to understand what Reggio Emilia Approach really is.
But as Italian, it would be nice to put a good Italy’s map, with both the big island (yes there are two! Sicily and Sardinia) or don’t put any picture and it would be better.
But as Italian, it would be nice to put a good Italy’s map, with both the big island (yes there are two! Sicily and Sardinia) or don’t put any picture and it would be better.
May 5, 2008
this is a great introduction to reggio Emelia. this is the system of preschools that was developed in northern Italy after wwii and especially after the 60's.
to me this marks the most revolutionary activity that has occurred since, I don;t know, the development of writing maybe?
They have really clearly looked at how children learn and gorw and develop really well adjusted intelligent creative compassionat children. Reading this book should show people how screwed up our educational system is and how that has really screwed up our society.
They do stuff that seems obvious. they give children positive attrention, treat them with respect. But also allow them to make theouir own learning and they encoruage art and other forms of expression as being essential parts of learning. They show how to tech childrne how to ocllaborta and trust and rea;ly be human.
to me this marks the most revolutionary activity that has occurred since, I don;t know, the development of writing maybe?
They have really clearly looked at how children learn and gorw and develop really well adjusted intelligent creative compassionat children. Reading this book should show people how screwed up our educational system is and how that has really screwed up our society.
They do stuff that seems obvious. they give children positive attrention, treat them with respect. But also allow them to make theouir own learning and they encoruage art and other forms of expression as being essential parts of learning. They show how to tech childrne how to ocllaborta and trust and rea;ly be human.
January 1, 2016
I am currently working in an early childhood special education setting which purports to follow an American developed curriculum that purports to follow the Reggio Emilia model; thus I wanted to read this book. It is a series of essays and commentaries by different authors on Reggio Emilia. I found the book interesting but a little boring to read. I used it as a basis to do a presentation to my co-workers on Reggio Emilia and we discussed whether the district's adopted curriculum really follow Reggio Emilia...it does NOT. It is too scripted and doesn't involve the students and teachers in deciding on the themes to emphasize.
August 28, 2010
How to be a part of and enjoy the wonder of being a child and childhood ! That children's thinking is qualitatively different to adults. Their perspectives are fresh and so highly indivdual that an adult role in their learning is merely that of co -researcher on this explorative journey with them. Fantastic reasons and ways of documenting children's thoughts and actions and how they accquire the knowledge and sense of their world. An absolute joy to read for all those who enjoy discovering the fascinating world of children and how to relate to it!
December 18, 2015
The foundational text for anyone wanting to understand the Reggio Emilia philosophy of early childhood education. It was a bit dense as it contained a number of original writings from key individuals in the Reggio Emilia movement. That said, there isn't a good book that summarizes the key pillars of the approach as far as I am aware so this is as good as it gets.
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September 29, 2008This book is a great introduction to the schools of Reggio Emilia, and the philosophy inspired by their belief in the child. A must-read for any early childhood educator, even if you use a more traditional approach.
April 18, 2015
The text is an artefact from what must be the most successful educational community humans have created that still exists. I am not sure if I am exaggerating. The book itself is not independently excellent and is from one perspective, but the reflected glory makes this a significant text.
May 30, 2008
love this. reggio emilia theory 101. super influential for what i do with kids.
August 5, 2011
Always refer to this book because of my job!
August 26, 2013
This is a great introduction to the Reggio Emilia experience. The chapters are written by experts who have been instrumental in the Reggio-inspired educational movement.
August 17, 2015
Excellent book and recommend.
August 17, 2015
Excellent!
January 23, 2016
Absolutely my philosophy for teaching.
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February 15, 2013372.21 H933 2012
April 30, 2017
A really interesting book with lots of inspiring ideas on early years classroom teaching that I love. It is however very densely written hence the lower star rating. I would give it 3 and 3/4's if goodreads allowed it.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews