The Hundred Languages of Children

by Carolyn Edwards; Lella Gandini; George Forman

• ISBN13: 9781567503104
• ISBN10: 1567503101
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 1998-04-21
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Summary

The city-run early childhood program of Reggio Emilia, Italy, has become recognized and acclaimed as one of the best systems of education in the world. Over the past forty years, educators there have evolved a distinctive innovative approach that supports children's well-being and fosters their intellectual development through a systematic focus on symbolic representation. Young children (from birth to age six) are encouraged to explore their environment and express themselves through many "languages," or modes of expression, including words, movement, drawing, painting, sculpture, shadow play, collage, and music. Leading children to surprising levels of symbolic skill and creativity, the system is not private and elite but rather involves full-day child care open to all, including children with disabilities. This new Second Edition reflects the growing interest and deepening reflection upon the Reggio approach, as well as increasing sophistication in adaptation to the American context. Included are many entirely new chapters and an updated list of resources, along with original chapters revised and extended. The book represents a dialogue between Italian educators who founded and developed the system and North Americans who have considered its implications for their own settings and issues. The book is a comprehensive introduction covering history and philosophy, the parent perspective, curriculum and methods of teaching, school and system organization, the use of space and physical environments, and adult professional roles including special education. The final section describes implications for American policy and professional development and adaptations in United States primary, preschool, and child care classrooms.

Author Biography

CAROLYN EDWARDS is Professor of Psychology and Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Nebraska.LELLA GANDINI is United States Liaison for the Reggio Emilia Program in the United States and Adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.GEORGE FORMAN is Professor of Education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix	(2)
About the Contributors	xi	(4)
Foreword: Complementary Perspectives on Reggio Emilia	xv	(4)
Howard Gardner
Remarks: Malaguzzi's Story, Other Stories	xix
David Hawkins
Part I. Starting Points	5	(44)
1. Introduction: Background and Starting Points	5	(22)
Carolyn Edwards
Lella Gandini
George Forman
2. What Can We Learn from Reggio Emilia?	27	(22)
Lilian G. Katz
Part II. Reggio Emilia's Educators Describe Their Program: Interviews With Lella Gandini	49	(112)
3. History, Ideas, and Basic Philosophy: An Interview with Lella Gandini	49	(50)
Loris Malaguzzi
4. The Community-Teacher Partnership in the Governance of the Schools: An Interview with Lella Gandini	99	(14)
Sergio Spaggiari
5. Projected Curriculum Constructed Through Documentation--Progettazione: An Interview with Lella Gandini	113	(14)
Carlina Rinaldi
6. The Role of the Pedagogista: An Interview with Lella Gandini	127	(12)
Tiziana Filippini
collaboration with Simona Bonilauri
7. The Role of the Atelierista: An Interview with Lella Gandini	139	(10)
Vea Vecchi
8. The Voice of Parents: An Interview with Lella Gandini	149	(12)
Gianna Fontanesi
Miller Gialdini
Monica Soncini
Part III. Reflections on the Interplay of Theory and Practice	161	(134)
9. Educational and Caring Spaces	161	(18)
Lella Gandini
10. Partner, Nurturer, and Guide: The Role of the Teacher	179	(20)
Carolyn Edwards
11. Children With "Special Rights" in the Preprimary Schools and Infant-Toddler Centers of Reggio Emilia	199	(16)
Cathleen Smith
12. Curriculum Development in Reggio Emilia: A Long-Term Curriculum Project About Dinosaurs	215	(24)
Baji Rankin
13. Negotiated Learning Through Design, Documentation, and Discourse	239	(22)
George Forman
Brenda Fyfe
14. Theory and Praxis in Reggio Emilia: They Know What They Are Doing, and Why	261	(24)
Rebecca S. New
15. Poppies and the Dance of World Making	285	(10)
Paul Kaufman
Part IV. The Extension of the Reggio Emilia Approach Into American Classrooms	295	(162)
16. The Child in Community: Constraints From the Early Childhood Lore	295	(18)
John Nimmo
17. Existing Frameworks and New Ideas From Our Reggio Emilia Experience: Learning at a Lab School With 2- to 4-Year-Old Children	313	(22)
Rebecca Kantor
Kimberlee L. Whaley
18. Bridge to Another Culture: The Journey of the Model Early Learning Center	335	(24)
Ann W. Lewin
Genet Astatke
Jennifer Azzariti
Wendy Baldwin
Deborah Barley
Amelia Gambetti
Sonya Shoptaugh
19. The City in the Snow: Applying the Multisymbolic Approach in Massachusetts	359	(16)
George Forman
Joan Langley
Moonja Oh
Lynda Wrisley
20. Looking in the Mirror: A Reflection of Reggio Practice in Winnetka	375	(30)
Eva Tarini
Lynn White
21. The Project Approach Framework for Teacher Education: A Case for Collaborative Learning and Reflective Practice	405	(14)
Mary Jane Moran
22. Stories of Change from the St. Louis-Reggio Collaborative	419	(20)
Brenda Fyfe
Louise Cadwell
Jan Phillips
23. Reconsidering Early Childhood Education in the United States: Reflections From Our Encounters With Reggio Emilia	439	(18)
Carol Brunson Phillips
Sue Bredekamp
Part V. Conclusion	457	(10)
24. Conclusion: Final Reflections	457	(10)
Carolyn Edwards
Lella Gandini
George Forman
Glossary of Terms Used by Educators in Reggio Emilia	467	(1)
Additional Resources	468	(7)
Author Index	475	(4)
Subject Index	479