The Reggio Emilia approach is a way of teaching young children that treats them as curious, capable learners. Teachers build learning around children’s questions through projects, art, play and exploration. It began in the villages around Reggio Emilia, northern Italy, after the Second World War.
Key takeaways
- The Reggio Emilia approach began after 1945, when a village community near Reggio Emilia started building a school, inspiring teacher Loris Malaguzzi.
- Its core ideas are the capable child, the “hundred languages” of children, the environment as a teacher, and teachers as co-learners.
- It is an approach, not a fixed curriculum, so most schools outside Italy call themselves Reggio-inspired.
- Look for children’s work on display, open-ended materials and long projects when you visit a preschool.
Where did the Reggio Emilia approach begin?
In 1945, just after the war, a group of women in Villa Cella, a village outside Reggio Emilia, began building a school for young children, which opened in 1947. Loris Malaguzzi, a young teacher at the time, saw the project take shape and later became a leading figure in early childhood education. Over the following decades, he worked with families and teachers to shape the ideas now known around the world as the Reggio Emilia approach.
The approach started as a community project, and that origin still shows: parents, teachers and the wider community are all seen as part of a child’s learning.
What are the core ideas of the Reggio Emilia approach?
The child is capable
The approach starts from the belief that every child is full of ideas and able to build their own understanding. Teachers do not treat children as empty vessels to be filled. They listen, observe and build on what children already think.
The hundred languages of children
Malaguzzi described children as having “a hundred languages”, an idea set out in his poem and described by Reggio Children, the organisation that promotes the approach. Children express what they know through drawing, painting, clay, building, movement, music, drama and talk, not only through words and written work. A Reggio-inspired classroom gives children many of these ways to show their thinking.
The environment as the third teacher
Adults and other children are a child’s first two teachers. The classroom is the third. Reggio-inspired spaces are calm, well-lit and full of natural materials, open-ended objects and children’s own work. The room is set up to invite exploration.
Teachers as co-learners
Teachers guide rather than lecture. They ask open questions, offer materials and help children test their ideas. When a group of children becomes curious about something, such as shadows, leaves or how a bridge stays up, the teacher may turn it into a project lasting days or weeks.
Documentation
Teachers record children’s work and conversations through photos, notes and displays. This makes learning visible to children, teachers and parents, and helps teachers plan the next steps.
What does a Reggio-inspired day look like?
A morning might start with children sharing something they noticed on the way to school. One group may continue building a model from yesterday’s project, another may paint, and a third may explore materials at a light table. The teacher moves between groups, asking questions and noting what each child says and does. Learning happens through doing, talking and making, with literacy and number skills woven into the work.
How is Reggio Emilia different from Montessori and play-way?
All three approaches put the child at the centre, but they differ in focus.
| Approach | Main focus | Role of the teacher | Typical materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reggio Emilia | Projects that grow from children’s questions | Co-learner and observer | Open-ended art and natural materials |
| Montessori | Self-paced independent work | Guide who prepares the environment | Specially designed learning materials |
| Play-way | Learning through structured and free play | Facilitator of games and activities | Toys, games, songs and stories |
Many schools combine ideas from more than one approach. Reggio Emilia is an approach rather than a fixed curriculum, so schools outside Italy usually describe themselves as Reggio-inspired.
Why do parents value Reggio-inspired schools?
- Questions are taken seriously. Children learn that their ideas matter.
- Communication grows. Explaining ideas through talk, art and building helps children express themselves, which is one of the everyday ways to build confidence in children.
- Children learn to work together. Group projects build listening, sharing and problem-solving.
- Parents stay involved. Documentation lets you see how your child thinks as well as what they make.
Where does Reggio Emilia fit at GAFL?
At Global Academy For Learning (GAFL), the Reggio Emilia approach is one of the six parts of the school’s iSTREAMS framework, alongside inquiry-based learning, 21st-century skills, technology integration, multiple intelligences and a sports academy.
GAFL’s Foundational Years programme combines play-way and Montessori methods with experiential, inquiry-based learning. Children explore music, art, science, maths, block play, sand and water play, language, dramatic play, outdoor activities, sensory experiences, reading time and story time. The programme is built on the belief that all children can learn, with learning outcomes designed in a spiral, progressive way so each year builds on the last. Families on the Mysore Road side can see this at GAFL’s Nursery and LKG classes in Rajarajeshwari Nagar.
How can you spot a Reggio-inspired preschool?
If a school says it follows the Reggio Emilia approach, look for these signs:
- Children’s work displayed at their eye level, with notes on what they said or discovered
- Open-ended materials such as blocks, clay, paint, natural objects and loose parts
- Small groups working on different activities at the same time
- Teachers asking questions more than giving answers
- Evidence of longer projects, not only one-day crafts
For a wider list, take our questions to ask when you visit a preschool.
When can your child start?
Most Bangalore schools admit children to Nursery at 3 and LKG at 4, with age counted around 31 May or 1 June. Check the Nursery and LKG age table for Karnataka before you apply, so your child joins the right class.
How can you bring Reggio ideas home?
You do not need special equipment to support this way of learning at home:
- Follow your child’s questions and explore the answers together
- Keep simple materials like paper, crayons, clay and boxes within reach
- Ask “What do you think?” before giving an answer
- Display your child’s drawings and talk about them
- Spend time outdoors noticing plants, insects and weather
More ideas are in our tips for parents to help children do well in school.
FAQs
- What age is the Reggio Emilia approach for?
It was designed for the early years, from infancy to around 6 years old. Many schools use it in Nursery, LKG and UKG. - Is the Reggio Emilia approach good for academics?
Children in Reggio-inspired classrooms still build early literacy and number skills, but through projects and real tasks rather than drills. The focus is on understanding rather than memorising. - What is the difference between Reggio Emilia and Montessori?
Montessori uses specially designed materials and self-paced individual work. Reggio Emilia focuses on group projects that grow from children’s interests, with teachers acting as co-learners. - Can a CBSE school follow the Reggio Emilia approach?
Yes. In the early years, schools can use Reggio-inspired methods while preparing children for the CBSE primary curriculum that follows. - Who founded the Reggio Emilia approach?
The approach grew from the work of Loris Malaguzzi with families and teachers in Reggio Emilia, Italy, after the Second World War.
Visit GAFL’s early years classrooms
On the other side of the city, visit the Electronic City campus on Hulimangala Road. To see the early years in action, book a preschool visit or call +91 8880 400 900.
