The Voice of a Child-A Reggio Emilio Approach
As the New Year Approaches I would like to share with you my favourite poem. For many years as an Early Childhood Educator working with younger children (four and five year olds) the Reggio Emilio philosophy of the child was one I valued deeply. Now as a learning support teacher this philosophy I value even more as I see each child's potential come through in different ways. We have come a long way in terms of education, however, we have also in some ways remained the same or in some cases we have lost or forgotten the voice of the child. 
As an educator I question what happens to our children when they start school?
WHAT HAPPENS TO PLAY WHEN CHILDREN START SCHOOL?
In kindergarten play is already undervalued and lost, children spend most of the day at a desk learning.
Read this poem carefully as it is the voice of our children.
Our children are our future and we need to value and nature them.
The Hundred Languages.
The child
is made of one hundred.
The child has
a hundred languages
a hundred hands
a hundred thoughts
a hundred ways of thinking
of playing, of speaking.
A hundred always a hundred
ways of listening
of marvelling, of loving
a hundred joys
for singing and understanding
a hundred worlds
to invent
a hundred worlds
to dream.
The child has
a hundred languages
(and a hundred, hundred, hundred more)
but they steal ninety-nine.
The school and the culture
separate the head from the body.
They tell the child:
to think without hands
to do without head
to listen and not to speak
to understand without joy
to love and to marvel
only at Easter and at Christmas.
They tell the child:
to discover the world already there
and of the hundred
they steal ninety-nine.
They tell the child:
that work and play
reality and fantasy
science and imagination
sky and earth
reason and dream
are things
that do not belong together.
And thus they tell the child
that the hundred is not there.
The child says:
No way. The hundred is there.
Lois Malaguzzi (translated by Leila Gandini)
Children are capable of amazing things. The Reggio Emilia Approach views children as competent and naturally curious. They enter the classroom with knowledge of their world. They are full of potential, active participants with their learning. They can take the lead and be constructive learners and teachers should follow their lead and be partners alongside them with their learning.
(Gandini, 2010)
You can follow my Reggio Inspired board on pinterest
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for stopping by! I love to hear from you!