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Reggio / Waldorf / Forest Kindergarten / Granola / Natural - Learning Methods>Reggio Emilia
Crystal 11:39 AM 02-22-2011
My favorite apporach to "teaching" young children:


http://zerosei.comune.re.it/inter/reggiochildren.htm



http://www.brainy-child.com/article/reggioemilia.shtml
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melskids 01:44 PM 02-22-2011
i am loving it too!!!

so are all of my parents!! i am so glad they are all on board with the changes i've made.
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SunflowerMama 04:52 AM 02-24-2011
Crystal and Melskids -
I really like this approach and would love to make a move to this approach by the Fall.

Have either of you ever attended a conference or seminar to help with setting up your area and to gain ideas? I'd love to find a conference this summer to attend.

I found this site with a few conferences but didn't know if you guys had any other info. http://www.reggioalliance.org/
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kendallina 09:55 AM 02-24-2011
When I was a director of a preschool, we used some elements of this approach and were really trying to move toward this approach (while still following the basics of high scope). I would really like to do more with this in my current preschool...thanks for the links Crystal!

I have discovered so many awesome websites in the last couple of weeks since more people have been posting, it's awesome! I've really been spending too much time just reading through everything, it's been great.

Crystal and anyone else that currently does the project approach, I would love to hear an example of one of the studies that you've done from start to finish. How did it start? What kinds of things did you do to learn about it? How long was the process? How did you document it? Thanks!!
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countrymom 10:35 AM 02-24-2011
I too have been reading up on this approach and the montessori approach. They are almost similar in approaches. Both focus on children learning from experience and learning basic needs in daily life. I like that (esp learning by experience because thats what I teach my own children) I too have been slowly switching over. But what kind of stuff are you ladies doing.

I need to buy some plants, but what kind (the re method suggests plants)
also hanging childrens art work up (I love this)
small areas
bright painted walls (I have that)
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SunflowerMama 10:46 AM 02-24-2011
We actually had some landscapers come out this week and in the next few days they are going to give us a little flower bed along our house and some landscaping for our raised veggie garden. It'll really add to our backyard .

Once all that is in place I can't wait to take the kids out to start planting some flowers in our flower bed and veggies in the garden.

I think as all those things start to grow it'll be great for the kids to feel like they are helping to take care of them and can really start to learn where their food comes from and what makes things grow, etc.

I'm also heading out this evening to get some plants for around the house to really add to the inside and I'm going to be adding some fish friends over the weekend.

I also need to start hanging the kids' artwork. What creative ways have you come up with the display their art? I'm thinking maybe clothes lines somehow but would love other ideas or pictures as well.

My goal is to be done with the packaged curriculum (currently MGT) in May and mostly nature-based, Reggio, etc. by the Fall.
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countrymom 11:09 AM 02-24-2011
I have the clothes line for their art projects, I bought it at the dollarstore and it came with clothes pins too. Mine hangs infront of the window. But I was thinking that if I bought some cheap frames I can hang them on my wall, but use the hooks that you can remove (I think its made by rubbermaid)
I see they use painting alot, I'm kinda wondering if it would work here. I have a small cart on wheels that is full of art stuff for the kids to use any time they want, and omgosh they love it, and they keep it clean.
I can't do anything outside right now because everything is burried under snow, but I think getting flowers in pots would be great.
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Crystal 12:28 PM 02-25-2011
Originally Posted by kendallina:
When I was a director of a preschool, we used some elements of this approach and were really trying to move toward this approach (while still following the basics of high scope). I would really like to do more with this in my current preschool...thanks for the links Crystal!

I have discovered so many awesome websites in the last couple of weeks since more people have been posting, it's awesome! I've really been spending too much time just reading through everything, it's been great.

Crystal and anyone else that currently does the project approach, I would love to hear an example of one of the studies that you've done from start to finish. How did it start? What kinds of things did you do to learn about it? How long was the process? How did you document it? Thanks!!
Last fall one of the children said " I wish I could go inside of my body so I can see what it looks like"

We ran with it. By the time we completed this (over three months) the children could tell you about their heart, how it works and what it does. They learned about bones, including what happens when one gets broken and they were provided REAL cast materials and casted each other as well as dolls and broken sticks. They could tell you the function of the brain and what it looks like. Our environment became a docotrs office, an xray techs room, etc. We provided them with REAL medical tools and they also learned about the importance of proper nutrition, exercise, etc. There is so much detail I don't have time to share it all, but by the time we ended the study (over 3 months after we started) these children were like little med experts!

We ALWAYS start with a comment or question from a child or group of children. Then we use a web to plan ideas for each area of the program. Then we decide what we need to accomplish our goals. Then we enlist parents to bring in materials - for instance with this particular project our EMT parent brought in xrays and cast materials, a DR. parent brought in tools and skeletons, etc. and was a guest visitor for the children to ask questions and discuss things with.. We continue the project for as long as the children are interested and usually end up branching off into other projects along the way.

I document with LOTS of pictures. And, artwork - lots of writing and artwork. The children will then dictate theirt stories to me and I'll write it on a separate paper, make a frame and hang it up.

We are currently learning about artic animals and global warming. A child saw on television that the polar ice is melting and asked me "what happens to the polar bears when all the ice melts?"

Often times we have more than one study happening, as different groups of children have differing interests.

Use your imagination when planning and preparing.....children are capable of learning far more than we give thme credit for, as long as we provide them the resources!
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Crystal 12:40 PM 02-25-2011
BTW, photo documentation does not need to take up lots of space.

Photo albums are great for telling the story.

buy old small standing desktop calendars when they are like 10 cents and make litlle scrapbooks out of them - just cover each page, front and back with cutouts and then add the picture and a little note about what is happening. Then they are a standing flipbook of phots.

Make accordion style stand up frames out of posterboard and add photos.

websites are great resources for this....I really need to get mine back up.
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kendallina 12:45 PM 02-25-2011
Originally Posted by Crystal:
Last fall one of the children said " I wish I could go inside of my body so I can see what it looks like"

We ran with it. By the time we completed this (over three months) the children could tell you about their heart, how it works and what it does. They learned about bones, including what happens when one gets broken and they were provided REAL cast materials and casted each other as well as dolls and broken sticks. They could tell you the function of the brain and what it looks like. Our environment became a docotrs office, an xray techs room, etc. We provided them with REAL medical tools and they also learned about the importance of proper nutrition, exercise, etc. There is so much detail I don't have time to share it all, but by the time we ended the study (over 3 months after we started) these children were like little med experts!

We ALWAYS start with a comment or question from a child or group of children. Then we use a web to plan ideas for each area of the program. Then we decide what we need to accomplish our goals. Then we enlist parents to bring in materials - for instance with this particular project our EMT parent brought in xrays and cast materials, a DR. parent brought in tools and skeletons, etc. and was a guest visitor for the children to ask questions and discuss things with.. We continue the project for as long as the children are interested and usually end up branching off into other projects along the way.

I document with LOTS of pictures. And, artwork - lots of writing and artwork. The children will then dictate theirt stories to me and I'll write it on a separate paper, make a frame and hang it up.

We are currently learning about artic animals and global warming. A child saw on television that the polar ice is melting and asked me "what happens to the polar bears when all the ice melts?"

Often times we have more than one study happening, as different groups of children have differing interests.

Use your imagination when planning and preparing.....children are capable of learning far more than we give thme credit for, as long as we provide them the resources!
Thanks Crystal, that's a great example! Do you web with the children?
I used to when I had a larger group at a center, but I only have 4-5 now and 2 aren't very verbal (still young) and the oldest is only 3.5. So, I'm having a hard time getting much out of them (*crickets...*), even when it's topics they're interested in.

As I write this, I think part of my problem is that I don't web right away when they're talking about it, I usually wait until the following week when we can more easily start a new 'theme'. I know, not very reggio, but I'd hate to plan for a week, then scrap it automatically when they start going in a new direction.

Also, my kiddos are only here 2 mornings/week, so it seems like they don't necessarily stay with an interest for very long, which I think is partly (mostly?) my fault.

I love that you talk about "studying" a topic. You used those words in another post and that's how I need to think about it. Right now I'm mostly just doing activities about a topic, but I don't feel like we're really 'studying' it. Thanks so much!

This post is mostly just me thinking aloud but I would love to hear what anyone's thoughts/suggestions are for me...this is what I really miss about having real life coworkers!
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Crystal 12:55 PM 02-25-2011
For those who asked about conferences, I don't know of any right now, but I am currently designing seminars for our mentoring program and will begin presenting them sometime around summer. When I do, I'll let you know about it, and I'll gladly send you my powerpoints and handouts.

Another thing I recommend is checking around for any programs that practice Reggio and visiting their program. Most are more than happy to allow you to visit and observe, if they are truly Reggio
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Crystal 12:59 PM 02-25-2011
Originally Posted by kendallina:
Thanks Crystal, that's a great example! Do you web with the children?
I used to when I had a larger group at a center, but I only have 4-5 now and 2 aren't very verbal (still young) and the oldest is only 3.5. So, I'm having a hard time getting much out of them (*crickets...*), even when it's topics they're interested in.

As I write this, I think part of my problem is that I don't web right away when they're talking about it, I usually wait until the following week when we can more easily start a new 'theme'. I know, not very reggio, but I'd hate to plan for a week, then scrap it automatically when they start going in a new direction.

Also, my kiddos are only here 2 mornings/week, so it seems like they don't necessarily stay with an interest for very long, which I think is partly (mostly?) my fault.

I love that you talk about "studying" a topic. You used those words in another post and that's how I need to think about it. Right now I'm mostly just doing activities about a topic, but I don't feel like we're really 'studying' it. Thanks so much!

This post is mostly just me thinking aloud but I would love to hear what anyone's thoughts/suggestions are for me...this is what I really miss about having real life coworkers!
Some times I web with the children, but not always. We do make lists together about EXACTLY what they want to know.....it's a chart with header:

Know Want To Know

Then we list what they already know and what they want to explore and web from there.

Yes, study. They are called "small group studies" small group because usually only part of the whole group has a REAL interest in the topic. So the interested group studies the topic, then they go back to the whole group during group gathering (what we call circle time) and at random times and share what they have learned and what they are currently working on.
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