Our Curriculum
At Little Learners Reggio Emilia, we follow an Emergent Curriculum shaped by the Reggio Emilia philosophy. This means our program grows from the children themselves, from their questions, their interests, and their natural ways of making sense of the world.
In our program, children are:
Engaged in play and learning about the things that genuinely interest and inspire them
Free to explore every learning space with curiosity and independence
Using their hands, their senses, and their imaginations to engage with their environment
Our curriculum allows children to communicate their ideas through art, through natural materials, through conversation with their peers and educators, and through visual and tactile exploration. All of this motivates deep engagement with the world around them and nurtures a lifelong love of learning.
What Does Reggio Emilia-Inspired Mean?
Education is a right for every child
Education is built through relationships
The rights and potential of children and families are promoted through genuine dialogue.
Children are active participants in their own growth and development
The Hundred Languages of children create rich connections and pathways to understanding
Participation is the heart of the educational experience
Listening is a condition for real dialogue and meaningful change
Shared inquiry into everyday life is a priority for adults and children alike
Documentation honours and gives lasting value to individual and group learning
The Hundred Languages
This poem was written by Loris Malaguzzi, founder and once director of the preschools and infant-toddler centers of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, Italy.
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We Believe In
Diversity
We hold deep respect for family, cultural, and community diversity. It is recognised in everything we develop and deliver.
Respect
Every individual in our community, children, families, and educators, is treated with dignity, genuine care, and full access to what our programme has to offer.
Development
Families are the most important people in a child's life. We actively welcome families as partners in their child's growth and development.
Quality
We hold ourselves to the highest standard. We are accountable to the children in our care, the families who trust us, and the broader community we serve.
Our Emergent Curriculum in Practice
Our educators observe children closely, paying careful attention to their unique interests and the way their development unfolds. From these observations, they create Reggio-inspired provocations, purposeful activities, and long-term projects that invite children to go deeper.
We believe that children have a remarkable capacity to represent ideas across a wide variety of symbolic and expressive modes. This is what Reggio Emilia calls the Hundred Languages of Children, and it is something we celebrate and cultivate every single day.
Capturing The Image of the child
Our educators see every child as competent, full of potential, and an active constructor of their own knowledge.
We take time to truly understand each child's viewpoint and capabilities.
We build learning environments that respond appropriately to what each child needs and is ready for.
We give children the space to make and correct their own errors, developing real problem-solving confidence along the way.
Our educators are neither prescriptive nor hands-off. They are partners in the learning journey.
Reggio-Emilia Inspired Provocation
Our provocations are built on the conviction that learning by doing, exploring, discussing, and revisiting ideas is the most powerful way for children to understand the world. They are open-ended, curiosity-driven, and always led by what children bring to them.
Key features of our provocations include:
An open-minded approach with no single prescribed outcome
Activities designed to stimulate imagination, initiative, and genuine wonder
Exploration that activates the brain and creates inspired, motivated learners
The Role of the Environment
At Little Learners, we believe the environment is the third teacher. Our space is designed with conscious attention to light, colour, natural materials, and the displays of children's own work. It is beautiful, and it is an invitation to enter and explore.
Intrigue and curiosity emerge from the thoughtful placement of materials and the variety of learning spaces we offer, from arts and science to sensory play, dramatic play, mathematics, quiet nooks, and rich provocation areas.
Observation and Documentation
Documentation is central to our practice. Our educators observe and record through audio, written notes, and photographs, building a rich picture of each child's thinking and learning. This documentation:
Deepens the learning children gain from their investigations
Keeps families closely connected to their child's experience and growth
Supports educators in understanding children better and continually strengthening their own practice
Questions to Ask on Your Next School Tour
Exploring options? Choosing the perfect place for your children to learn and grow is an important decision, and finding the best fit can take time. To help make the process easier, we’ve created a helpful checklist you can bring along on school tours. Download your free copy using the button below.