Introduction
The task of educating infants and toddlers is a complex initiative that requires adopting appropriate frameworks for better results. One of them is the Reggio Emilia approach originated from the town of the same name in Italy, and it is reported to be effective for promoting essential skills determining future academic successes of students (Fernández-Santín & Feliu-Torruella, 2020). In order to appropriately implement this philosophy, one needs to understand the history of this method and its main characteristics. Therefore, the use of the Reggio Emilia educational techniques depends on the awareness of teachers regarding the applicability of these solutions to the studying environment.
History
The examination of the mentioned pedagogies should start with the understanding of their creation and the context of their introduction in the past. According to Giudici and Cagliari (2018), the emergence of the Reggio Emilia approach was conditional upon the desire of Italian citizens to restore their lives after World War II. They were primarily focused on educating children and began to build schools in order to emphasize the significance of promoting the well-being of the population through addressing the needs of new generations (Giudici & Cagliari, 2018). Over time, the participation of responsible adults determined the general orientation of their work. They wanted to “make a sustainable and quality educational system” for infants and toddlers and thereby facilitate the formation of their cultural ideas for becoming full-fledged society members of the new world (Giudici & Cagliari, 2018, p. 1459). In this way, the founders of this method highlighted the importance for young learners to be able to make appropriate independent choices while using the instilled notions as guidance in life.
Approaches
The developed educational system can be characterized by a combination of components addressing the goal mentioned above. Thus, as follows from the basic provisions of the Reggio Emilia approach, teachers intended to promote critical thinking skills in their students in the first place (Fernández-Santín & Feliu-Torruella, 2020). In order to do so, they developed creative activities requiring the cooperation of all participants in the process while paying attention to their unrestricted communication (Fernández-Santín & Feliu-Torruella, 2020). In this situation, the principal role of adults is related to observations, and the decision-making process of children is guided by their curiosity towards different subjects (Fernández-Santín & Feliu-Torruella, 2020). These ideas correspond to the need for including imagination in all tasks. For instance, in the arts, it is performed by careful selection of materials without limiting learners to copying others’ works (Fernández-Santín & Feliu-Torruella, 2020). As a result, the provision of minimal instructions while encouraging individuals to explore the world is more advantageous for their cognition. Children manage to adapt to the environment better, and the sole emphasis on their independence, being monitored by adults, enhances cooperation with peers and educators.
Conclusion
To summarize, the development of infants and toddlers, as per the suggested Reggio Emilia framework, is a complex initiative, requiring following specific patterns. It originated from Italy after World War II when the citizens saw their prosperous future in teaching offspring appropriate culture while allowing them to make independent decisions. This solution was extremely beneficial for their consequent participation in societal life, and the promoted critical thinking skills and the ability to cooperate with one another helped create a favorable environment for everyone. In this way, it can be concluded that the elaborated system is useful for increasing the autonomy of young learners for their academic successes and can be used in present-day schools.
References
Fernández-Santín, M., & Feliu-Torruella, M. (2020). Developing critical thinking in early childhood through the philosophy of Reggio Emilia. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 37, 100686. Web.
Giudici C., & Cagliari P. (2018). Pedagogy has children’s voice: The educational experience of the Reggio Emilia municipal infant-toddler centers and preschools. In M. Fleer & B. van Oers (Eds.), International handbook of early childhood education (pp. 1457-1467). Springer.