08/19/2026
Last spring, Foundational School Director Amanda Irwin and preschool teacher Rachel Rich traveled to Reggio Emilia, Italy, to immerse themselves in the workshops and ateliers that define this renowned approach to early childhood education. This week, they brought that experience back to our teachers.
In Reggio philosophy, children are seen as capable, curious communicators who express themselves through what educator Loris Malaguzzi called "the hundred languages of children." Our job isn't to hand children one right way to respond, but to offer rich, open-ended experiences that let them problem-solve, create, share and discover who they are during this critical time in their development.
In this session, teachers became the learners, exploring a single subject, eyes, through minimal instruction and endless possibility. No two interpretations looked the same, just as no two children learn the same way. The question we carried out: how might we design more experiences like this in our own classrooms?
Every child sees the world differently. When we slow down and observe closely, rather than rushing to categorize, we nurture empathy, curiosity and a deep respect for who each child is.
