“This is a bean plant, first you make a hole with your finger, and then you get any kind of bean, water it and put it in the sun, then it will start to grow, and you’ll have a beautiful plant!”

Negotiated Curriculum: In Reggio Emilia philosophy, children are considered the “first teacher” and teachers the “second teacher.” Curriculum emerges then from the interests and ideas of both teachers: children and adult teachers. Topics for study are determined in morning meetings with the children; children or teachers suggest what they want to do that day, and team planning is essential to the creation of daily activities, the development of projects and finding the needed materials and resources. We believe children have tremendous potential to make choices, create, discover, invent and to co-construct their own learning. Our atmosphere allows children to feel safe to articulate ideas and know their comments will be given serious consideration and respect.

Learning:  We approach learning as a process, rather than a set of facts to be ingested.  We believe that the single most important thing that we do is supporting and encouraging children’s natural dispositions to be learners.

Our indoor and outdoor learning environments provide infinite raw materials to suggest wonderful ideas, and the negotiated curriculum approach values the possibilities of the unexpected. So, the “curriculum” is really everything that happens during our day. Teachers are experienced at recognizing “big ideas,” those ideas that have captured the children’s interests and are worthy of deep exploration. Components of math, literacy, writing, science, inquiry, interpersonal skills are typically used to investigate and test hypotheses as big ideas are explored. Children acquire academic skills, in relevant ways, as they are needed to further their own investigations.

Large blocks of time are available for children and adults to work. Children’s work is respected, and preserved so that they can return to their projects and continually edit their work.

Children learn about the natural world by tending our garden, constructing wildlife habitats, observing and caring for animals. They explore early mathematical concepts by graphing, sorting, and patterning real objects. Even cleaning up after each activity offers experience in classifying and sorting.

Scientific discoveries are made while “working” with sensory tables, sand, water, pulleys, weights
and measures, and magnets. Books relating to the topic or child’s interests are always available and we share books and stories throughout the day.

Project Work: Projects, which can come from children or teacher ideas, are in-depth studies that capture the interest of the group. Projects are things that are concrete and important to the children, and large enough for there to be diversity of ideas. Projects may last a week or a year, but are always long enough to allow ideas to be discussed, conflicts to arise, and negotiation to be practiced.

Teachers:

*  Learn alongside the children;
* Are a resource and a guide who lends expertise to children;
* Research ideas
* Provoke ideas, problem solving, and conflict;
* Stimulate thinking, and stimulate children’s collaboration with their peers;
* Take ideas from the children and return them for further exploration;
* Organize the classroom and materials to be aesthetically pleasing;
* Organize materials to help children make thoughtful decisions about the media;
* Carefully listen, observe, and document children’s progress: photos, video & audio recording, journaling and portfolios;
* Help children see the connections in learning and experiences;
* Help children express their knowledge through representational work;
* Dialogue about the projects with parents and other teachers;
* Foster connections between home, school and community; and
* Constantly reflect about their own teaching and learning