Originally Posted by nothingwithoutjoy:
I would also add...don't get too hung up on the "stuff." I think when people encounter new philosophies, the stuff is what they see first, and so they think it is the philosophy. Teachers in Reggio Emilia would not tell you that any of that stuff is necessary. They would emphasize that the stuff you use should reflect your group, your community, your culture. Reggio is far more about a mindset than a collection of materials.
Children are competent.
Children have rights.
Children express what they know through 100 languages (and a hundred hundred more).
That's far more important than stuff. Start with documenting what your kids are doing, and extending it with open-ended materials that support what they're doing, and you'll get much closer to the heart of Reggio inspiration than you would by including all the stuff pinterest tells you is essential to Reggio.
(And fight your licensor on the disparity between plastic counters and corks. Absurd. She's got some pre-conceived notion of what Reggio is without a real understanding.)
I really understand the languages and love the different languages. The stuff will come in time