Amelia gambetti reggio curriculum plan

By Lisa Wesley, Teacher

The initial springboard of learning is wonder and curiosity,” said Amelia Gambetti, an international consultant for Reggio Children, an early-childhood education organization based in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

More than 200 early-childhood professionals attended a conference held in Santa Monica, Calif., January 28-30, about the Reggio Emilia schools’ approach to education. Gambetti illustrated Reggio Emilia’s belief in the importance of listening to children’s ideas and creating conditions for learning that will enhance children’s powers of thinking.

The schools’ intention, she says, “is to generate questions and search for answers.” Teachers see themselves as learners and researchers alongside children. Their role is also to listen and document children’s thoughts and ideas so they can be used to encourage further exploration and also be revisited to provide further thoughts on a topic.

The conference