"Enrich your Child's Development with our Reggio Emilia-Inspired Program!" Contact us
REGGIO EMILIA INSPIRATION
Discover Our Early Childhood Education Approach
Dedicated to early childhood education, we embrace a socio-constructivist approach inspired by Reggio Emilia. Our philosophy values the myriad ways children communicate, encouraging freedom in their observation, creativity, curiosity, and enjoyment.
Allowing children to express themselves fosters extensive learning, evidenced by their execution of new experiences. Our daily mission is to create innovative projects tailored to the unique needs and interests of every child.
At the core of our early childhood center are five guiding principles:
- Child-Centric Education: Placing the child as the protagonist of their educational journey.
- Competent Teaching: Our educators serve as competent teachers, collaborators, researchers, and guides.
- Space as a Learning Tool: We consider the environment as the third teacher, shaping the learning experience.
- Families as Educational Allies: We view families as essential partners in their children's education.
- Pedagogical Documentation: We prioritize documenting the learning process to enhance educational practices.
In fostering these principles, we create an enriching environment where early childhood education is a dynamic and collaborative experience.
Happy Kids Reggio NY: Education
Child-Centric Education
Space as a Learning Tool
Child-Centric Education
Reggio Emilia-inspired program recognize children as individuals with their own unique capabilities, ideas, and interests. It places great value on the child's role as the protagonist of their own learning and development, which involves active participation in the learning process.
Competent teaching
Space as a Learning Tool
Child-Centric Education
The teacher's role is to facilitate learning, guide exploration and discovery, and support the child's interests through open-ended questions. By emphasizing the child's active role in learning, the Reggio Emilia approach promotes lifelong learning and a love for discovery.
Space as a Learning Tool
Space as a Learning Tool
Families as Educational Allies
The environment is considered the "third teacher". This means that the space plays a significant role in shaping children's learning experiences and development. The physical environment is carefully designed to promote exploration, discovery, and creativity. The space is intentionally organized to encourage collaboration, socialization, and independent exploration
Families as Educational Allies
Families as Educational Allies
Families as Educational Allies
In the Reggio Emilia-inspired program, families are viewed as essential partners in the education of their children. We recognize that parents and families are the primary influences on a child's development and learning. Therefore, it values the role of families as active collaborators and advocates for their children's learning. Families are encouraged to participate in the learning process by sharing their perspectives, knowledge, and experiences. They are also invited to take an active role in the school community, participating in events and contributing to the curriculum.
Pedagogical Documentation
Families as Educational Allies
Pedagogical Documentation
This process involves collecting and analyzing data about children's learning and development, including their thoughts, questions, and ideas. The information is then used to create a record of each child's progress, which is shared with parents and educators. Pedagogical documentation serves as a tool for reflection and planning, helping educators to better understand each child's strengths, interests, and needs. It also provides insight into the effectiveness of teaching strategies and helps guide future learning experiences.
SESSIONS AT HAPPY KIDS REGGIO NY
Nurturing Play with Nature, No Plastic in Sight
At Happy Kids Reggio NY settings, we have moved away from plastic toys and replaced them with loose parts, recycled materials, and authentic resources.
Our environment has a natural home-like feel that is comforting for the children. We offer children real and natural materials that help them connect their learning experiences and reality.
Activities and Opportunities to Encourage the Whole Child’s Development
Our program is designed to engage children in sensory exploration. We believe that children learn best through hands-on activities, and we encourage them to explore the natural world around them. Our program offers a wide variety of activities, including music, creative art, story time, singing, blocks, science, math, literacy, messy play, sand, clay, water, and baking.
For infants, we have treasure baskets that provide a sensory-rich environment for exploration. Toddlers are presented with activities that are challenging yet simple and achievable, allowing them to develop their problem-solving skills and independence.
Throughout the session, our teachers carefully observe and document each child's progress and interactions. This allows us to provide individualized attention and support for each child's unique learning style and needs. At Happy Kids Reggio NY, we strive to create a nurturing and stimulating environment that promotes a lifelong love of learning.
The Flow of our Session
The session begins with the arrival routine, where children and parents are greeted by our teachers and encouraged to participate in a calming activity to start their session on a positive note. This is followed by explorations, where children are presented with invitations and provocations that encourage them to explore and learn through play.
A community meeting is a time for children and parents to come together, share thoughts and ideas, and participate in activities promoting social-emotional learning. This is followed by a practical life activity where children and parents engage in hands-on learning experiences that promote independence, fine motor skills, and problem-solving.
At the end of the session, children participate in the dismissal routine and engage in a calming activity before saying goodbye to their teachers and friends. Throughout the session, teachers document children's learning and development through pedagogical documentation, which is shared with parents and used to inform future learning experiences. At Happy Kids Reggio NY, we believe that a structured and engaging routine is key to promoting learning and development in young children.
PARENTS AS PARTNERS
In our community, parents are fundamental and valued. They participate in session activities, work to improve our center by following goals, and engage in discussions, events, and celebrations.
