Inspirations and Values from the Reggio Emilia Approach
At Thames Tiddlers Nursery we are inspired by the infant/toddler and preschool programs of Reggio Emilia, Italy. It is important in Reggio for the teacher to work with the child as active collaborator, both adult and child learning together. We encourage the children to investigate and explore their own questions, theories and ideas about what is happening in the world around them. We support their investigations into these questions through a variety of creative process supporting an enquiry based learning approach. This allows the children to lead and develop their own learning with the educator as facilitator and collaborator of their learning.
We have atelier spaces and an atelierista's (the artist) Rachel Robertson and who has a Degree in Fine Art and works with the children to support an enquiry based learning approach. Rachel works with all educators, in particular the pedagogical leads Samantha Bergman, Karly Cooper and Ashlee Burton who ensure all educators are able to support children's fascinations and curiosities, supplying the materials children may need to encourage a continuous creative way of working.
All the work is documented through photography and transcriptions of the children's conversations and ideas throughout the projects. This is carefully displayed around the room in a way that signifies to the children the value of their creations, ideas and thought processes.
Rachel has accompanied educators on professional days at two Reggio Inspired Nursery settings. This has enhanced staff's knowledge and understanding of the Reggio Approach allowing the setting to progress in our ongoing journey. Rachel has also attended a professional day at Sightlines Initiative on Developing Environments of Enquiry. This was a professional day with talks from a pedagogista from the northern preschools of Reggio Emilia and other professionals who have become inspired by this approach and are bringing these ideas into their settings.
Rachel and Danni have also spent a professional development week in Reggio Emilia in April 2015. In April 2016 Danni accompanied both Mir and Samantha on the professional visit week to Reggio Emilia. This was hugely beneficial to further enhance our knowledge within this approach and to support our ongoing professional and personal development. The knowledge gained has been used to support staff and develop the environments and education at Thames Toddlers Nursery. In April 2016 Danni went back to Italy and took our pedagogical lead Samantha to the study week in Reggio Emilia.
Educators attend visit days to other nursery settings inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to support an ever-growing network and culture of professional development. The next visit is for 10 educators to attend Reflections Nursery and Forest School in Worthing on the 16th of November on a professional development day focusing on children's explorations of mechanics and engineering and the social dynamics of projects.
We have atelier spaces and an atelierista's (the artist) Rachel Robertson and who has a Degree in Fine Art and works with the children to support an enquiry based learning approach. Rachel works with all educators, in particular the pedagogical leads Samantha Bergman, Karly Cooper and Ashlee Burton who ensure all educators are able to support children's fascinations and curiosities, supplying the materials children may need to encourage a continuous creative way of working.
All the work is documented through photography and transcriptions of the children's conversations and ideas throughout the projects. This is carefully displayed around the room in a way that signifies to the children the value of their creations, ideas and thought processes.
Rachel has accompanied educators on professional days at two Reggio Inspired Nursery settings. This has enhanced staff's knowledge and understanding of the Reggio Approach allowing the setting to progress in our ongoing journey. Rachel has also attended a professional day at Sightlines Initiative on Developing Environments of Enquiry. This was a professional day with talks from a pedagogista from the northern preschools of Reggio Emilia and other professionals who have become inspired by this approach and are bringing these ideas into their settings.
Rachel and Danni have also spent a professional development week in Reggio Emilia in April 2015. In April 2016 Danni accompanied both Mir and Samantha on the professional visit week to Reggio Emilia. This was hugely beneficial to further enhance our knowledge within this approach and to support our ongoing professional and personal development. The knowledge gained has been used to support staff and develop the environments and education at Thames Toddlers Nursery. In April 2016 Danni went back to Italy and took our pedagogical lead Samantha to the study week in Reggio Emilia.
Educators attend visit days to other nursery settings inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to support an ever-growing network and culture of professional development. The next visit is for 10 educators to attend Reflections Nursery and Forest School in Worthing on the 16th of November on a professional development day focusing on children's explorations of mechanics and engineering and the social dynamics of projects.
