The child as an active participant in learning. The Reggio approach “sees a child as a very competent protagonist and initiator who interacts with their environment” . Andra Young, head teacher of a Reggio-inspired school in San Francisco, says that students are allowed to follow their own interests, but that “it's not willy-nilly.” For example, she says, students in her classroom were showing an interest in building, so she brought wood stumps and building materials into the classroom. While exploring how to hammer nails, the children were given the opportunity to reinforce math skills, problem-solving and emerging literacy—all in relationship to their hands-on project.
The significance of environment. “The environment of the school is seen as the third educator,” after the teacher and the parent. Children use a variety of found and natural materials to represent concepts that they are learning in a hands-on way.
The teacher, parent and child as collaborators in the process of learning.The Reggio approach views the parent as an essential resource for the child's learning. There is an importance placed on fostering community.
Making learning visible. “The teacher observes and documents the daily life of the school to make learning visible”. In Reggio-inspired classrooms, teachers use a variety of documentation methods, such as cameras, tape recorders and journals, to track children's thoughts and ideas as they play together or work with materials. For example, each child has a visual journal, including photographs of their projects, quotes from the child, artwork and writing samples.
*Information taken from: www.education.com/magazine/article/Reggio_Emilia/