Explaining Reggio Emilia

I’ve been teaching young children using guidance from Reggio Emilia for 6 years, so it is second nature to me.  This can make it a little hard to explain, because I don’t always think about what I’m doing or why I’m doing it, I just do it.  I found this quote from Carlina Rinaldi, the President of Reggio Children, and I think it perfectly explains the philosophy in a way that is short, sweet, and easy to understand.

This speaks to every tenet of the philosophy because it recognizes that the process is always more important than the outcome.  It also speaks to giving value to the thoughts and ideas of children, and the importance of working together to discover an answer to a child-developed question.

This would be a great quote to share at a staff meeting or study group.  I would love to know how others interpret it so please share your thoughts!