Eastwood Kindergarten reflects the Reggio Emilia approach to learning, where childhood is respected, parents valued and the place for inquiry and learning
Eastwood Kindergarten is a place where young children have the opportunity to learn and grow in an enriched environment where teachers guide and facilitate the child’s inherent desire to learn. Our beliefs reflect the Reggio Emilio philosophy. Children are seen as full of potential, competent and capable of building their own theories. Children’s thoughts and ideas are respected and they experien
ce the sense of wonder about the world around them. The Reggio Approach is a complex system that respects and puts into practice many of the fundamental aspects of the work of Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky, and many others. It is a system that lends itself to the role of collaboration among children, teachers and parents and the co-construction of knowledge. A network of communication exists between the children, parents, and teachers. They work together, interacting toward a common purpose: the building of a culture that respects childhood as a time to explore, create and be joyful. Project work is a large component of the Reggio Approach. Projects may derive from the children’s and teachers’ ideas and interests, thoughts and theories in things worth knowing about. Teachers reflect on the experiences of the children in order to expand on the experiences. Documentation is used as a research tool for studying children’s learning processes. It is about what children are doing, learning, and grasping, and the product of documentation is a reflection of interactions between teachers and children and among children. It is through documentation that the teachers are able to gain insight into the thoughts of the children, determine further investigation for working on topics, create a history of the work, and generate further interest. The environment in a Reggio influenced school is viewed as a living organism, a place of shared relationships among the children, the teachers and the parents. The school provides for the children a feeling of belonging in a world that is alive, welcoming and authentic. A child’s first educational experiences will influence and impact all future educational experiences. Our students will leave Eastwood Kindergarten as confident, inquisitive children who understand the value of working alone and with others to expand and build on their knowledge. They are in wonder of the world and eager to explore and discover, question and hypothesize. These children are alive with the excitement of learning – a very good beginning
