Reggio Emilia Education

Our learning philosophy at Papillon is based on the Reggio Emilia Educational Approach. Reggio Emilia teaching has its origins in the northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia. The forefather is Loris Malaguzzi, who developed Reggio pedagogy together with other educators and the learning community in the 1960s.

Reggio pedagogy has spread over the past decades and is a highly recognized and respected early childhood educational approach.

In 1991 Reggio Pedagogy received the "World's Best Preschool" award from Newsweek. Since then, numerous other awards have followed including UNESCO’s award in 2010 as “World’s Best Pedagogy”.

Many Reggio-Emilia kindergartens have been successfully established around the world since then and every year many educators visit the training center in Italy.
The guiding principle of Reggio pedagogy is to support children in strengthening their individuality, promoting their potential and encouraging their participation in the community. In Malaguzzi’s own words the child is "rich in potential, strong, powerful, competent, and most of all, connected to adults and other children." (Malaguzzi, 1993, p. 10)

Caring, Respectful, Appreciative

Reggio pedagogy focuses on the rights of the child influenced by the community of learners. There are no hierarchies and Reggio believes the children have a high level of competence and curiosity. Reggio pedagogy, however, is not anti-authoritarian. The cornerstones of the learning community are based on reciprocal, respectful relationships. This requires clear boundaries, solid structures and daily routines that promote the emotional stability, freedom and social skills of the children. Our multifaceted, professional team of caregivers provides this framework for the children.

Learning provocations for little adventurers, eager researchers and explorers

The aim of Reggio pedagogy is to promote the joy and curiosity to discover, research and learn. We support the children in their learning processes with questions, encouragement and provocations. The child builds confidence, perseverance and self-esteem through this safe and nurturing environment. Numerous projects, including those from the areas of art education, nature exploration and physical activity provide chances to flourish.

Our environment is of special importance. The rooms provide a safe place for discovery. It is important to us that they are beautifully and thoughtfully designed and at the same time promote the spirit of research, imagination and collaboration in the children. The rooms in our facilities are designed to be explored with all of the senses.

The heart of our environment is the art studio or Atelier. Here the children are invited to explore and express themselves with a variety of materials. In Reggio pedagogy, expression goes beyond the ability to speak but encompasses the many ways that children communicate through materials. In the Atelier they can live out experimenting, forming and shaping, where there are no limits to creativity.

Our "Talking Walls" are the link between the children, parents and the environment, documenting the story of everyday kindergarten life. We at Papillon encourage parents to share this journey of discovery with their children.