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?

Advisories

"We are the explorers of the Diana School, we’re the strongest of all, even though strength doesn’t really count that much it’s better to be intelligent… we’re the best experts on dinosaurs, insects, tricks and jokes… we’re writing some things for you so you can learn them." The Big Kids of Diana School

The 5-6-year old children of Diana Preschool recount to the 3-year-olds the school they are coming to. In the book a game of stickers to find one’s own way in the new school.

Edited by Paola Strozzi and Vea Vecchi
Graphic design by Rolando Baldini and Vania Vecchi

Published by Reggio Children

An inspirational book for anyone involved in creating experiences of encounter and transition for young children

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)

Beastiary

A3 folder of ideas, drawings, and interpretations of animals by children of the Municipal Preschools of Reggio Emilia.

 Publisher: Reggio Children (1995)

Brick by Brick

The history of XXV Aprile Municipal Preschool of Villa Cella, one of the first opened in Reggio Emilia after the end of the second world war.

"All of my little models were laughingly overturned: that building a school would ever occur to the people, women, farm labourers, factory workers, farmers was in itself traumatic. But that these same people, without a penny to their names, with no technical offices, building permits, site directors, inspectors from the Ministry of Education or the Party, could actually build a school with their own strength, brick by brick, was the second paradox." - Loris Malaguzzi

This book is a powerful history of one of the first centres for children and the dedication of women and parents after the devastation of World War II.

 Published by Reggio Children (2000)

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)

Catness

A mother cat and her kittens living in the schoolyard: an extraordinary experience for the children at Villetta Preschool.

A3 folder of drawings and ideas.
Published by Reggio Children (1995)

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)

Children, Spaces, Relations

Metaproject for an Environment for Young Children:  a  core resource for anyone invlolved in creating or setting up classrooms, schools or other built learning environemnts for children.

Research project carried out by Reggio Children and Domus Academy of Milan, offering tools for analysis and practical indications for the design of spaces for young children.

• a critical analysis of the cumulative experience of the municipal early childhood system of Reggio Emilia
• reflections on the tools of design
• essays discussing the pedagogical and architecture/design issues that form the theoretical basis of the research

Texts, photographs, children's work.

Published by Reggio Children (1998)

Crossing Boundaries

Ideas and experiences in dialogue for a new culture of education for children and adults.

The book contains the proceedings from the International Conference held in Reggio Emilia in February 2004 entitled "Crossing Boundaries".

The Conference offered itself as an international opportunity for dialogue and exchange around themes such as the rights and potentials of children and adults, learning processes and the school's strategic role.

Contributors include Jerome Bruner, Howard Gardner, Peter Moss, Irene Balaguer, Aldo Masullo, Susanna Mantovani.

Including a DVD with conference video-interviews.

Published by: Edizioni Junior (2006)

Dialogues with Places

From "Dialogues with Places" exhibition, the children's experiences and projects become a work-in-progress notebook.

 Children from Reggio Emilia early childhood centers explored the Loris Malaguzzi International Center while construction on the site was still partially underway. They chose a space that was interesting to them and designed a work, a gift conceived in harmony and in dialogue with the chosen place.

 Published by Reggio Children (2008)

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