Social Development
At the tender age of 3 and 4 years old, preschoolers begin to open themselves up to other people as they begin to interact with other children and become less attached to you as their parent. Before this stage in your child's growth, you may have noticed that if he/she did play with other children, they usually did so side-by-side - separately. Now, as your child continues to develop, they will begin wanting to be around more children their age and gender. Because of this and wanting to be more dependent from you as a parent, your child's world will start to evolve around the people they are exposed to the most- classmates and teachers.
An environment that supplements these developments is key in the healthy growth of each child. But how is this accomplished?
With the Reggio Emilia Approach.
An environment that supplements these developments is key in the healthy growth of each child. But how is this accomplished?
With the Reggio Emilia Approach.
As introduced on the Introduction to the Reggio Emilia Approach page, the Reggio Emilia philosophy encompasses much, much more than simply social development. But in our curriculum, it has been decided that this approach is going to effect the area of social development mainly. One question I like to ask is; "Where is socialization without learning, and learning without socialization"? As humans, we are a social species that develops more appropriately when involved with other humans. Same goes for 3 and 4 year olds; who need support from the people around them. Back to our philosophy- how then, do we apply the Reggio Emilia approach?
We are applying this philosophy in the environment of the children and in the way they interact with one another. An environment rich with details- everything from color coded materials on shelves to tons of mirrors for reflection of one's self and of others- is a necessity. When children interact by expressing one's self while working with others allows personal learning, but also exposes a child to others' ways of expressing too. This will enable a child to develop their sense of other's opinions and thoughts. A few ways to engage this interaction is through music, art, and large group projects. In the classroom, 3 and 4 year olds will be interacting with each other- forming mixed aged groups. This will allow for an even more widespread spectrum of ideas and abilities to be represented by the children.
Above were just a few of the many ideas the Reggio Emilia philosophy provides for the environment and the interaction between children. One thing that is important to remember about the Reggio Emilia approach is the principle of valuing the children- before all else. The learning is about the child. The socialization is about the children. The teachers and parents role in this social development is as anchors and guides. Through this philosophy, it is known that children understand concepts best when allowed to ask their own questions and purse their desires; rather than being fed facts and shown how to socialize. The Hundred Languages of Children poem explains this briefly.
One area based on the Reggio Emilia approach that has not been mentioned yet, is the importance of family and community involvement. Another aspect of social development relating to family and community involvement would be to get parents to actively engage their children at home, as well as in school. It is highly encouraged within the Reggio Emilia approach for parents to become involved with the learning of their children- to physically come to school and interact with the children. This is easily does through musicals (where parents can bring in an instrument they play and share it with the children), dramas (theater), and art. Having different members from the community come to a school and share their details and experiences is one way that community involvement can be very fulfilling to the children as well.
Below are some Key Words that are symbolic of the Reggio Emilia approach. My wish is that they stay with you while you explore the rest of our curriculum.
Key Words: Exploration, Discovery, Creativity, Absorption, Kindness, Respect, Reflection, Expression, Abilities, Value, Self, Understanding, Oneness