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'Do not confine your children to your own learning for they were born in another time.' - Proverb

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REGGIO EMILIA INSPIRATION & ADDITIONAL INFLUENCES
Classroom Environment

The Value of the Environment as Third Teacher

"The child is rich in potential, strong, powerful, competent and most of all connected to other adults and children.”

- Loris Malaguzzi

Given our commitment to the optimal conditions for development, it is no wonder that CNS is grateful to be inspired by the schools and educators in Reggio-Emilia, the home of world renowned educational centers in which communities of learners work together to create a curriculum that reflects the children’s capacity -- and pushes them to go beyond their initial understanding. The popularity of the Reggio Emilia inspiration is rooted in its connection to the science of brain development and reflection of how children best learn. The tenets of Reggio Emilia include providing children with sophisticated playful learning tools and experiences then observing and recording them as they learn so that teachers can develop emergent curriculum specific to each unique child. This curriculum and documentation encourages children to become more deeply involved in study and fosters teachers to better match instruction to the great potential of children.

Reggio Emilia schools offer an emergent project-based curriculum that builds on children’s interests and skills. For example, in a Reggio-Emilia inspired school, you might see groups of young children studying bridges, local birds, waterways, construction sites or city sculptures depending on which aspects of their world inspire their curiosity. CNS also draws from other best-practice approaches including Montessori, Waldorf, Piaget, Vygotsky, Paley and others that recognize the profound potential of young children and support constructivist learning.

In a Reggio-Emilia classroom, the adults carefully observe and reflect on the students to create and adjust the curriculum. Teachers continually monitor the children’s activities, documenting their learning through photographs, videos, journals, interviews and portfolios. As children are observed, listened to and recorded, they are encouraged to take their learning seriously, pursue questions with research, experiment and take on new challenges for improved understanding.

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Habits of Mind

 Developing Habits of Mind 

Training Influences

We have been benefited from and been informed by training in
 

As educators and teacher researchers, we have also been influenced by many wonderful professional development opportunities.

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Visits & Consults

We are grateful for the collaboration and visiting consults from educators including:
 

  • Nancy Fincke, Julie Bernson, and the teachers from Lincoln Nursery School at the deCordova

  • Liz O’Neil and the teachers from Lexington Community Nursery School

  • Lella Gandini

  • Ben Mardell

  • Ellen Hall

  • Lisa Kuh

  • Melissa Rivard

  • Yvonne Liu-Constant

  • Kristina Lamour-Sansone

  • John Nimmo

  • Stephanie Cox-Suarez

  • Megina Baker

  • Debbie Lee-Keenan

  • Susan McDonald and Angela Ferrario

  • Reggio Leadership Group

  • Professors at MGH Health Institute

Influencial Resources

We have been influenced many research and reflections of many resources
 

  • The Hundred Languages of Children, Carolyn Edwards, Leila Gandini, and George Forman

  • Insights and Inspirations from Reggio-Emilia, Lella Gandini and Susan Etheredge

  • 12 Best Practices of Early Childhood Education and other books, Ann Lewin-Benham

  • resources from Reggio children

  • Visible Learners: Promoting Reggio Inspired Approaches in All Schools, Mara Krechevsky, Ben Mardell, Melissa Rivard and Daniel Wilson

  • Many storytelling books of Vivian Paley

  • The Art of Awareness and other resources from Deb Curtis and Margie Carter

  • Thinking Critically about Environments for Young Children, Lisa Kuh

  • Seen and Heard, Ellen Hall and Jennifer Kofkin Rudkin

  • Mind in the Making, Ellen Galinsky

  • Beautiful Things, Cathy Topal and Lella Gandini

  • Roots of Empathy, Mary Gordon

  • The Power of Mindful Learning, Ellen Langer

  • Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv

  • Endangered Minds, Jane M.Healy

  • Nurture Shock, Po Bronsen and Ashley Merryman

  • Visual Thinking Strategies, Philip Yenawine

  • Spark, John Ratey

  • Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman

  • Having of Wonderful Ideas, Eleanor Duckworth

  • Creating Innovators, Tony Wagner

  • Mindset, Carol Dweck

  • resources from Angela Lee Duckworth

  • The Power of Play, David Elkind

  • How Toddlers Thrive, Tovah Klein

  • Teach Your Children Well, Madeline Levine

  • How Children Succeed, Paul Tough

  • The Blessing of a Skinned Knee, Wendy Mogel

  • Power of Their Ideas, Deborah Meier

  • The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything, Ken Robinson, Ph.D. (with Lou Aronica)

  • On Knowing, Jerome Bruner

  • Teaching with Intention, Debbie Miller

  • A Place for Wonder, Georgia Heard and Jennifer McDonough

  • Releasing the Imagination, Maxine Greene

  • Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child, John Gottman

  • Playful Parenting, Lawrence Cohen

  • Connection Parenting, Pam Leo

  • Emotional Development in Young Children, Suzanne A. Denham

  • The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book, Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves

  • Attached at the Heart: 8 Proven Parenting Principles for Raising Connected and Compassionate Children, Barbara Nicholson & Lysa Parker

  • The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind, Survive Everyday Parenting Struggles and Help Your Family Thrive, Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.

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