Authors: Angela Mee Lee and Karyn Mendes
What if the classroom itself could teach – not through words, but through color, light, and possibility?
The way a child learns is as unique as the child themselves. For decades, the Reggio Emilia Approach—an innovative and empowering educational philosophy originating in the town of Reggio Emilia, Italy—has been built on this fundamental belief: that children are capable, curious, and creative learners from birth.
This philosophy is not a rigid curriculum, but rather a powerful framework built on the understanding that children thrive when empowered to take the lead in their own discoveries. It views education as a partnership between the child, the educator (often referred to as the ‘teacher’ or ‘facilitator’), and the parent.
What Are the Core Values of the Reggio Approach?
The Reggio philosophy is guided by a set of core principles that shift the perception of the child and the learning space.
| Key Reggio Idea | Simple Meaning for Parents | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| The Image of the Child | Your child is a natural researcher with vast potential, not an empty vessel waiting to be filled. | We respect their ideas, honor their wonderings, and allow them to take the lead in discovering the world. |
| The Hundred Languages | Children have countless ways to express themselves beyond just words and writing (e.g., movement, painting, building, singing). | We value all forms of expression and allow children to explore an idea through many different creative channels. |
| The Environment as the Third Teacher | The physical learning space is so important it is considered an educator in itself. | The space is not only beautiful and organized but also inspiring, encouraging curiosity, respect, and deep engagement. |
| Documentation | Educators capture the learning process through photos, transcripts of children’s quotes, and videos. | It makes children’s deep thinking visible to themselves, their peers, and you, allowing everyone to reflect on how learning occurs. |
| Relationships | Learning is a social process built through strong connections between the child, peers, educators, and family. | We foster collaboration and dialogue, recognizing parents as vital partners in their child’s education. |
The Environment as a Living Educator
You may have heard the Reggio Emilia Approach speak of three educators always being present in the classroom: the teacher, the child, and the environment.
Why consider the environment a ‘teacher’? As educator Karyn Mendes asks, “What if the classroom itself could teach – not through words, but through color, light, and possibility?”
The Reggio Emilia Approach views the environment not as a passive backdrop, but as a living, responsive participant in the learning process. Thoughtfully designed spaces can inspire wonder, evoke curiosity, and provide opportunities for connection. They actively invite children to explore, ask questions, and engage in meaningful relationships with materials, peers, and ideas.
What Does a Reggio-Inspired Environment Look Like?
A Reggio-inspired space feels less like a traditional classroom and more like an art studio or workshop—a calming, stimulating, and beautiful place that invites hands-on exploration.
1. The Aesthetics: Calming and Respectful
A key principle is that the space respects the child as capable of appreciating beauty.
- Natural Light & Aesthetics: You will find an abundance of natural light, often through large windows or mirrored surfaces that play with light and shadow. The color palette typically leans towards warm, calming colors like whites and earth tones. The space is generally uncluttered and visually appealing, promoting a sense of peace and focus.
- Children’s Work as Art: The walls serve as canvases, displaying not just the final products of creation, but the process of learning. This includes photos, notes, and transcripts of the children’s questions and theories—the “documentation” that makes their thinking visible.
2. The Materials: Open-Ended Possibilities
In a Reggio setting, knowledge is seen as the result of active construction. The materials offered facilitate this discovery process.
- Loose Parts & Open-Ended Materials: Instead of closed-box toys with a single function, the shelves are filled with “loose parts.” These could be natural materials (stones, wood, shells, feathers) as well as recycled or everyday items (buttons, fabric scraps, cardboard). The open-ended nature of these materials allows children to create, innovate, and offer different sensory experiences.
- The Learning Spaces/Studio (The Atelier): There is often a dedicated area for creative expression, rich with accessible, high-quality art supplies such as clay, wires, paint, drawing tools, and projectors. This space, known as the atelier, is always ready for children to use.
3. Creating Contexts for Discovery
Reggio environments are intentionally designed to create relationships between the learner and the object of learning. This is achieved through carefully planned provocations that spark curiosity and dialogue.
- The Power of Provocations: Educators introduce “provocations” meant to surprise children and spark conversation. This might involve illuminating a white curtain with torches, or placing paper and pencil in the block center. These contexts allow children time to explore, pose questions, and work toward solutions.
- Real-World Example: During an exploration of light and shadow, torches were initially placed in one corner. A child spontaneously moved a torch to the art area, creating new relationships between light and material. The children discovered how the light cast shapes on the paper and began outlining them, blending art and science in one spontaneous moment.
4. Work Strategies and Critical Competence
The environment supports the development of critical competence by inviting group reactions and fostering dialogue.
- Shared Meaning-Making: Children are encouraged to observe, hypothesize, test, and refine their ideas, linking different forms of representation—drawing, speaking, building, and acting. Through these interactions, they learn to communicate their thoughts and value the perspectives of others.
- The “Place Ballet”: Educators attempt to maintain a delicate balance between providing structure and allowing freedom of exploration. The term “place ballet” refers to the bodily regularity of people moving together through time and space. Seeing the environment as the “third teacher” is a way of choreographing this balance—a gentle dance between guidance and independence.
- The Emergent Curriculum: This process leads to an emergent curriculum that is open-ended, informed by the children’s interests and observations. As the beloved Reggio phrase goes: “Expect the unexpected.”
The Continuous Cycle: Design, Document, Reflect
As facilitators, educators engage in a continuous cycle:
- Design: Introducing a provocation or new material.
- Document: Observing how children engage with it and listening closely to their conversations, recording them through notes, photographs, or video, making the learning process visible.
- Reflect: Using the documentation to design the next provocation that builds on the children’s existing interests, deepening their understanding and curiosity.
This vital process of documentation allows the child’s presence and thinking to be reflected in the space, nurturing feelings of ownership, belonging, and responsibility.
When we view the environment as a teacher, we begin to understand learning as something that happens with and through space, not just within it. Every texture, sound, shadow, and arrangement can become an opportunity for discovery. By intentionally designing environments that invite exploration, dialogue, and reflection, we allow children to see the world as full of possibilities—and to recognize themselves as capable, creative, and connected learners.
