Benefits of Employing the Reggio Emilia Approach in Preschools at Williamsburg Northside

The Reggio Emilia approach to preschool education first began in the northern parts of Italy after the end of the Second World War. It was the creation of a teacher named Loris Malaguzzi who lived in the area of Reggio Emilia in Italy. With the passage of time, this alternative approach became highly popular and eventually towards the last quarter of the century, it attracted worldwide attention.

So what are the benefits of the Reggio Emilia approach that it is implemented by the preschools at Williamsburg Northside and other areas around the world?

This blog deals with all that and much more. Read on to find out -  

One of the key principles of the Reggio Emilia approach is that it encourages children to take part in activities, explore and question what they see happening around them. These are what every preschool in Williamsburg Northside actively promotes.

Some of the other practices involved in Reggio Emilia approach are as follows –

Expressive Arts

The Reggio Emilia approach is based on the premise that children use a number of ways to express their creativity, thoughts, and understanding. These various methods of exploring, learning and thinking are expressed through dance, drama, drawing, painting, pretend-play and sculpturing.

Long-Term Projects

The learning projects in the Reggio Emilia approach provide ample scope for research opportunities for young learners. These include real-life problem-solving among peers, opportunities to think creatively and explore. Children are made to take part in small groups and begin with teachers questioning children about their topic of interest.

After this, materials and opportunities in their area of interest are introduced by the teachers. The curriculum is designed in a manner to strike a balance between the instructions of the teacher and the activities which are of interest to the children.

Tracking Individual Journeys

Another key element in the Reggio Emilio approach happens to be documentation. It serves a plethora of purposes but is primarily used for analyzing the learning patterns in children. The focus area of documentation happens to be the experiences the children are involved in and the skills which they acquire. It also helps teachers in assessing the understanding of the children and develop the curriculum accordingly.

How Preschools in Williamsburg Northside are Targeting Development through Play

All work and no play not only makes Jack a dull boy, but it can affect his overall development as well. The importance of play is so great that the UN High Commission for Human Rights has gone to the extent of recognizing play as a right for every child.

In Williamsburg Northside, preschools are making use of this essential aspect of a young learner’s development and incorporating a variety of hands on activities that are fun, engaging and stimulating as well.

Given below are the ways in which the preschoolers have been benefiting from such play-based activities that help in more than one way and do much more than the usual games conducted in most early childhood educational institutions-

Relaxation and Fun

Play forms one of the most enjoyable aspects of childhood that helps children relax and have fun. It also has restorative benefits. Children, after a session of free-play tend to be more attentive and relaxed to indulge in more structured, academic classroom activities.

Development of Social Skills

As students in the preschools of Williamsburg Northside engage with each other during play, they consciously or unconsciously develop some of the key social skills like leadership and group skills by sharing and taking turns.

Language, Learning and Motor Development

Play-based activities inside and outside preschool classrooms provide children an enriching combination of developmental opportunities related to cognition, motor and language (speech and understanding) skills.

Competency

Play requires young learners to face new situations and make decisions and choices that have a cumulative effect on the overall competency of a child. Children also learn a lot about solving problems and acquire the basic skills required for mastery of a variety of situations.

Nurturing Communication

Development of communication skills can be enhanced for young preschool attending kids through structured and unstructured play. Children interact and communicate with each other during games and are more likely to overcome their communication barriers that tend to make them shy and less outgoing.

Establishing Connections

As children engage amongst themselves during play, they establish connections with each other through common interests. This forms the basis of friendship.

Must-Have Characteristics of a Good Preschool in Williamsburg Northside

Preschool education has always been observed as a precursor to a wholesome education and successful life. The issue, however, is that not all preschools in Williamsburg Northside are equal. It is thus essential to know how to choose the right one for your kid.

Here are a few characteristics, which a good preschool must have –

Clean and Secure Location

When talking about preschools, we are referring to children younger than six years, who would be regularly attending classes. Consequently, this particular trait is non-negotiable for preschools in Williamsburg Northside as it is essential that kids feel safe when they are within the school premises.

There should not be any health or safety hazards. A good preschool in Williamsburg Northside will not only cater to the emotional well-being, but also to the physical well-being of your child.

Complete and Safe Facilities

Any preschool which has a quality will not only have just have rooms set up for the kids but apart from the basic facilities, they will also have round-the-clock provisions, which are needed to keep a preschool in Williamsburg Northside child-friendly and free from hazards.

In other words, such a preschool must have toilets, a sanitized eating area, an infirmary, cabinets for toys and no-slip flooring. Furniture should be such that they do not have any sharp edges and all electrical outlets must have covers, and be out of the reach of kids.

Trained and Caring Teachers

It is not an easy task taking care of young kids, while teaching involves even more responsibilities. Any preschool in Williamsburg Northside, providing the best education to kids will surely invest in teacher training as well as re-training programs. This ensures that teachers are not only at ease with the curriculum, but they are also aware of the best way to implement the same.