Adventuring in Early Childhood Education

Robin Duckett and Mary Jane Drummond 

How do we translate our values and beliefs into practice?
Action-research narratives and reflections on establishing creative, reflective early childhood pedagogy: early childhood educators and creative enablers describe their collaborative work for others who want to explore and grow.

• When we say we value children as competent, sociable, imaginative and expressive learners, what do we do about it in practice?
• When we say we need to be critical, reflective and creative in our practice, how do we realise these aspirations?
• When we try to create environments of enquiry, with space for children's fascinations, what will help - or hinder - us in doing so?

Along the Levee Road

The history and identity of the Municipal Preschool Centro Verde Martiri di Villa Sesso narrated by the the people who participated in its creation. The book tells the story of an educational community over almost half a century (1945 -1997)

Introduction -  Sergio Spaggiari

Our First 26 Years -  Loretta Giaronni

Our School as part of the Reggio Emilia Experience - Max Ghiradi

The Centro Verde - the children's thoughts and words

Publisher: Reggio Children (2002)

Browsing Through Ideas

A collection of wonderful ideas, microstories, children's thoughts and theories, fragments of 23 projects from Reggio Children.

Designed for educators' group discussion and professional formation.

"An open and engaging A3 folder of new and different contributions of children and teachers that, with a particular narrative and iconic synthesis, keep a trace of the basic project but express new concepts that can generate enormous educational potentials, able to elicit new ideas and new proposals."

Sections from the Reggio exhibition "THE WONDER OF LEARNING"

Published by Reggio Children (2009)

Children, Art, Artists

Catalogue of the exhibition  "The Expressive Languages of Children, The Artistic Language of Alberto Burri"  documenting projects carried out following a retrospective exhibition of works by Italian artist Alberto Burri in Reggio Emilia (Nov 2001 - Jan 2002) 

Reflections on possible and productive encounters between children and artists.

Published by Reggio Children (2004)

Difference, dissensus and debate: some possibilities of learning from Reggio

Dogs, Bones & Dancing

Are you looking for ways in which your children can explore their world through music and movement?

This slideshow/video summarises our 2-year project with a nursery and primary school in Kendal. Discover what we did, what we learned, what obstacles we faced and how the children engaged.

Production has been supported by Youth Music, and so we are able to make this free to download.

Doing The Right Thing

Working with Children in a Natural Environment, Early Childhood Educators Re-evaluate their Theory and Practice

This film documents research undertaken by Walkergate Early Years Centre and Sightlines Initiative into the best way to support young children's learning.

The dvd also includes extra professional development material on downloadable pdf files.

Everyday Utopias

Two films presenting descriptions of a day in an infant-toddler centre and a day in preschool: the everydayness of being together, the strength of a way of organising that is designed but light, knowledgeable but flexible; a special care for the environments and the way of being in school, the idea that the infant-toddler cenre and preschool are places in which culture is created.

"Our hope is to raise normal children as the result of hard-won and everyday utopia" (Loris Malaguzzi)

• A day in an infant-toddler centre (running time: 13'58")
• A day in a preschool (running time 19'15")
  
  Production: Reggio Children 2011 DVD-PAL

Everything has a Shadow Except Ants

The experiences and emotions of children at the Diana and Gulliver Preschools of Reggio Emilia at work with shadow, immaterial companion in our lives.

"Shadows live or die only when there's light. When I can't see my shadow it's because it's gone back to its place. The shadow place is inside of us"  "When you don't see the shadow, it's gone back to the sun."

A project between science and play.

 Published by Reggio Children (1999)

Feathers

This booklet tracks the development of one of the many ideas that the children conceived. Lots of theories and stories emerged through the inspiration the natural evviroment had of the children's creative and curious minds. An interplay between staff and children, the environment and the imagination.

In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia

In the Spirit of the Studio

Indications - Preschool and Infant-Toddler Centres

An English translation of the Italian booklet produced for parents, and indeed anyone in the community, by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia.

It is a synopsis and introduction to the values and practice of the preschools: an essential companion for any visitor or interested enquirer.

"The development of Indications, carried out with wide community involvement and participatory consultation, represents an important achievement in ensuring that the guiding criteria for operating the early childhood services are transparent, shared, and put into practice, criteria deriving in large part from the actual history of these educational services."

Published April 2010 from the original Italian version (2009)

Learning to Learn in Nature

Have you ever wondered what would happen

• if children were given day-long, year-long opportunities to be in nature and explore wildness?
• if educators recognised how daring and imaginative children become in the wild outdoors?
• if educators and children, working together, used their classroom as a studio for the exploration and exchange of fascinatig ideas and questions?

In this book you will find some answers to these questions - and to many more.  [ downloadable flyer ] 

Robin Duckett & Mary Jane Drummond

Making Learning Visible

Children as Individual and Group Learners'. From the research project conducted by Project Zero at Harvard School of Education and Reggio Children.

Involves teachers and pedagogistas from the Municipal Infant-toddler Centers and Preschools of Reggio Emilia and researchers at Project Zero.

This is a crucial resource for all teams of educators, heads, managers engaged in researching and extablishing creative, reflective pedagogy.
Published by Reggio Children (2001)