ED447971 PS029100
Title: Reggio Emilia: Catalyst for Change and Conversation. ERIC Digest.
Author(s): New, Rebecca S.
Author Affiliation: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood
Education, Champaign, IL.(BBB34257)
Pages: 3
Publication Date: December 2000
Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement
(ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036)
Contract No: ED-99-CO-0020
Report No: EDO-PS-00-15
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
Language: English
Document Type: ERIC product (071); ERIC digests in full text (073)
Geographic Source: U.S.; Illinois
Journal Announcement: RIEMAY2001
International
perspectives on the care and education of preschool children that
seem to be of greatest interest in the United States are those directly
linked to prevailing concerns in American early childhood education.
In this context, many early childhood specialists have explored
the implications of Reggio Emilia's work for the theory, practice,
and improvement of U.S. early childhood education. This digest outlines
the history of Reggio Emilia's early childhood programs in order
to provide insights to educators in the United States; the digest
highlights some of Reggio Emilia's less visible contributions, particularly
its role in promoting discourse among communities of adults in the
United States, as they debate the meaning and significance of their
work with young children. Also discussed is Loris Malaguzzi's influence
in bringing together Italian early childhood educators to share
and debate the merits of their diverse approaches to creating environments
for young children. The digest concludes by noting that while it
is premature to make claims about the influence of Reggio Emilia's
example on children's lives, there is little question that the field
of early childhood education, including teacher education, has been
altered by the exchanges taking place with Italian colleagues. As
a result of these cross-cultural conversations, some educators have
begun to use Reggio Emilia as illustrative of how nations might
best respond to children's development and learning potentials--in
particular, Reggio Emilia's emphasis on local processes of knowledge
construction. (LPP)
Descriptors: *Early Childhood Education; Educational Environment;
Educational Philosophy; Educational Practices; Foreign Countries;
*International Communication; International Educational Exchange;
Preschool Curriculum; *Reggio Emilia Approach; *Young Children
Identifiers: ERIC Digests; Italy (Reggio Emilia)
