I don't get this Reggio thing...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are several reasons for teachers to go to Italy. Observing the approach in its' place of origin helps deepen the understanding of the approach and how it is implemented. Questions can be directly asked of those who use the approach every day. Many people learn best using hands on, first person observation. There are some misconceptions about the approach (outside of Italy) and seeing the approach in action can clear those misconceptions up. Teachers can also observe the environment, getting ideas for room set up and materials and their use.

That sounds like marketing gibberish by the sales director for an Italian training program. I have no doubt that longstanding Reggio practioners much closer would be plenty able to provide the training, especially since the approach is not so vastly different that notions of how to set up a room, etc, would be completely foreign.

I would be pissed if our school spent tens of thousands of dollars, which would be folded into tuition, on such jaunts.

[Anonymous]

Does your child even go to a Reggio inspired preschool? You seem very angry about the teaching approach.

[Anonymous]

11:57-I echo what others have been saying. If you don’t like the approach, the training, or anything else, just send your child to a different type of school. Why are you so hell bent on knocking Reggio?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does your child even go to a Reggio inspired preschool? You seem very angry about the teaching approach.

I assume you are referring to my post above re gibberish. It is the first post I have made other than asking if there is a difference between emergent and Reggio.

So the other "angry" posts are by one or more other posters.

And to answer your question, my kid goes to a school that uses "emergent"curriculum that seems to be similar to, and maybe "inspired" by, Reggio. I am not angry about it at all. I like the school and the curriculum.

My post wasn't angry or critical about Reggio at all. It was critical of the idea that it was wise or necessary to send teachers to Italy to truly grasp the program. Just because someone doesn't completely drink the Kool Aide - and that is how many of the pro Reggio posts sound here - doesn't mean they don't think the program itself is useful.

[Anonymous]

. . . then don't do this Reggio thing. How hard is that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What training did you receive in Italy that made you invaluable to becoming a better teacher? How was that content not able to be delivered stateside?

The real question is why do you care about this? If you don’t like the training/philosophy, put your kid in a different school. Your aggressive behavior is not acceptable.

The questions she asked were pertinent. Why do you say she is being aggressive? Your response was the aggressive one. I would like someone to answer why you have to go to Italy to learn the philosophy as well and how that makes you a better teacher. Does a teacher who teaches to Piaget need to go to France? Here’s the rub. Reggio is child guided. I do not trust a two, three or four year old to guide a curriculum especially as a preschool’s purpose is to get children Kindergarten ready. Children do not know what they need to learn to be Kindergarten ready. Teachers do. This can be done with a happy medium of learning through play. But to have children run this process is only allowing for one thing: the child will enjoy playing. Again, why pay for your child to just play? My opinion. No need to tackle me PP with your aggressive response.

There is some hostility in your response. You obviously do not fully understand how Reggio works and how these children are way more than ready ffor kindergarten.

[Anonymous]

By the way, you should all know that is is no Reggio “certification” (like there is in Montessori). All schools outside of Italy can only be “Reggio inspired” or guided by Reggio principles and philosophy. We travel there to observe and learn. Nothing takes the place of being able to learn in that environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:By the way, you should all know that is is no Reggio “certification” (like there is in Montessori). All schools outside of Italy can only be “Reggio inspired” or guided by Reggio principles and philosophy. We travel there to observe and learn. Nothing takes the place of being able to learn in that environment.

How though? You still have not explained how what transpires is so magically different than what Reggio inspired schools and teachers can do in the US or elsewhere. You sound almost cultish in your devotion.

"Champagne" can only be made in a region of France, but that doesn't mean a "champagne" is inherently better than a "sparkling wine" produced elsewhere to use potentially inapt analogy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:. . . then don't do this Reggio thing. How hard is that?

Again, as I said, I like my Reggio inspired program. One can do that and question the utility of jaunts to Italy. That was the main point of my post you apparently missed.

[Anonymous]

Also not sure why anyone is so angry about this. From my experience both my kids completely prepared for kindergarten by going to a Reggio preschool, and if they did that by doing nothing but playing all day, then I feel sorry for the kids who were made to sit down and "learn." There was no question of my kids being "behind" the kids from traditional or Montessori preschools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:. . . then don't do this Reggio thing. How hard is that?

Again, as I said, I like my Reggio inspired program. One can do that and question the utility of jaunts to Italy. That was the main point of my post you apparently missed.

Are you the OP? My response was to her/his terribly worded original query.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:. . . then don't do this Reggio thing. How hard is that?

Again, as I said, I like my Reggio inspired program. One can do that and question the utility of jaunts to Italy. That was the main point of my post you apparently missed.

Are you the OP? My response was to her/his terribly worded original query.

Nope. Thought you were responding to my post immediately before your's. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

I was thinking about this thread this morning in my Reggio-inspired classroom, and the assertion that Reggio or play-based is an excuse for the teachers to be lazy.

After observing that our students like playing with pretend food, we planned to set up a grocery store in the classroom. This led to some students sorting things by color, some adding money and giving change, some writing and drawing receipts, one practicing counting by tens, and lots of joyful playing. We differentiated for each student as they needed it, and—since that was only one part of what we did today—I’m exhausted at the end of my day.

[Anonymous]

Hello this is OP. (My first response). I read all the answers and still don't see get it. Most of the posts were similar to what I read on the internet. I am not trying to diss it, I just don't understand it in application. Montessori is easy to conceptualize. Maybe I will ask my center for a proper tour (we registers sight unseen as we were overseas) and the director can point out examples of Reggio tools. We were in a DOD daycare facility before this and it seems absolutely the same (free play, breakfast, circle time, outdoor time, snack, activity, lunch, nap, outdoor time, snack, etc).

[Anonymous]

The Reggio Approach only exists in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Anywhere else, teachers are using a Reggio inspired approach. No one can replicate exactly what they do in Reggio because the approach depends on the community and culture it exists in. If you go to a training anywhere but Reggio, you are seeing the approach as it is adapted for their community and culture plus you may be seeing things that aren't truly Reggio inspired (i.e. common misconceptions about the approach).