The Reggio Emilia approach is so much more than just education and childcare. It’s about a proven, unique concept that views the child as a capable individual who can follow a learning path driven by their own curiosity and interests, yet fully supported by everyone and everything around them.
This community consists of the early childcare educators, their surroundings (in Reggio Emilia the environment is considered as the third teacher) and each child’s parents, caregivers and family group.
With the Reggio Emilia approach, more than in any other early learning environment, parents/guardians and family are an integral element in their child’s learning pathway.
Everyone plays a role in a Reggio Emilia classroom. Right at the centre is the child – a protagonist with individual likes, dislikes, talents and vast potential to become their very best future adult self.
Around them is their community, which is made up of the:
The role of the educator is to nurture and guide – to help direct a child’s natural instincts, providing an inclusive landscape of questioning, involvement, cooperation and discovery. The surroundings, or environment, of a Reggio Emilia centre is carefully constructed to support this journey.
The family – be it parents, guardians, caregivers or a wider extension – play an equally important role. As partners in their child’s journey, family members are encouraged to actively participate. This is achieved in many ways and can be fitted into even the busiest of lifestyles.
The dynamics of the Reggio Emilia concept make family involvement a priority. This is achieved in an infinite number of ways. For example:
The best early childhood education is achieved when families and educators work together in partnership and as a community. Such collaboration is given the highest consideration at Evoke Early Learning Centres. In addition to playing an active part in their child’s learning journey, parents and guardians are actively encouraged to contribute to service decisions.
Parents’ views are not only respected, but caregivers are encouraged to share in the decision-making and well-being of their child’s early education. Such involvement is fostered through communication, cooperation and information sharing. In other words, the creation of a community centred around the most important person in the mix – the child.
This concept is highlighted by our childcare philosophy and values. We’re proud of our centres and would be delighted to show you in person.
Book a tour to see us in action or contact us and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
While early childhood education is dedicated to creating the foundations of academic learning, this certainly isn’t the sole focus. The Reggio Emilia concept considers the child as a whole – and that means areas such as emotional development, emotional intelligence, physical and mental well-being, social skills and encouraging natural curiosity.
Humans are a complex, dynamic system – so nurturing the whole of this during the formative early years creates the basis from which the adult of the future can build.
The earliest years of a child’s life are where change is occurring faster than at any other time of life. Not only are they growing in physical size, but the brain is creating thousands upon thousands of connections.
It’s a time when valuable life skills begin to be formed, such as communication, dexterity, mindfulness and more.
The Reggio Emilia concept recognises the equal importance of these non-academic elements – indeed, such skills directly impact how a child approaches learning opportunities later in life. Rather than thinking of social-emotional development and well-being in isolation, they are better considered as components that play an equally important role in childhood development.
With this in mind, we can break down how a positive approach to individual subjects can influence the early learning years.
While these examples are by no means exhaustive, it gives an idea of how a creative, all-inclusive, child-led Reggio Emilia environment stimulates whole-person discovery and learning. No one skill is more important than another, with proficiency in one area spilling over to academic, social, emotional, all-round happiness and well-being.
Evoke Early Learning Centres are inspired by the acclaimed Reggio Emilia method. From our values and philosophy to our hand-selected, highly-trained staff and parental involvement, we’re committed to creating the ideal environment for the most precious member/s of your family.
Contact us today for more information.
Every Reggio Emilia classroom has a designated room or area that’s known as the atelier. While it’s often referred to as the art studio, such a term – although immediately understandable – fails to convey the true intricacies of its role.
Rather than thinking of the atelier as a place where children carry out art projects, the space is better described as:
A space where creativity is stimulated and explored – a laboratory of discovery where intelligent materials encourage open-ended experiences.
Every Reggio Emilia atelier is unique. From the arts and crafts tools available to the use of light, space, furniture and more, each individual early educational facility takes full advantage of the nuances of its location.
Two of the guiding principles of the Reggio Emilia philosophy are:
The first of these is about the space that a child lives and learns. The best early learning experience comes from spaces that are filled with objects and resources that stimulate all five senses, encourage curiosity and have a positive, targeted and age-appropriate impact on child development.
The early years are a time when the brain is developing at an outstanding pace. Thousands of neural connections are being made – therefore, an environment that encourages curiosity, exploration and questioning is crucial to support this.
The second principle – the 100 languages of children – is symbolic. It references that children learn through hundreds of methods, such as singing, drawing, painting, dramatic play, sculpting etc. In other words, they learn through all the senses, meaning that each must be provided with stimuli of equal importance.
The atelier is the hub of the classroom. It’s filled with items that aren’t just playthings, but sensory items and objects that children can experiment with as they choose. This encourages discovery, experimentation, problem-solving and creativity that’s driven by the individuals’ interests. Activities are overviewed by the Reggio Emilia teacher – or atelierista – who observes the direction of travel and encourages (but doesn’t direct) further actions.
In short, the end product isn’t the destination. It’s the journey the child takes to get there that provides so much value.
The wide variety of media within an atelier is a crucial element. While this will include some of the usual art studio suspects (paints, crayons, glitter etc), a vital difference is the use of natural products. Their inclusion provides great value, with highly tactile and sensory elements providing children with a five-dimensional landscape in which they can make sense of the world around them, problem solve and learn to work in both a solo capacity as well as with their peers.
For instance:
Exploration is key. The atelier is a place where children can:
In short, while the atelier is an art studio, to refer to it in such a simplistic term is to overlook the global role it plays in early childhood development.
At Evoke Early Learning, our Albert Park and Clayton centres combine space, light and media to provide ateliers that promote an incredible sensory, art-focused environment. In combination with our advanced childcare philosophy and incredible early learning educators, we offer the ultimate home-from-home environment for the most precious members of your family.Book a tour today and come and meet our team.
Curiosity! The desire to further explore an object, concept or method, isn’t something we need to teach children – it’s an inherent part of being human. However, what they do need are the opportunities, environment and guidance that encourage such interest. Such landscapes promote discovery of the world around them - self-guided learning that follows a path unique to their interests.
One of the driving features of the Reggio Emilia approach is that children are the architects of their own learning. Their natural inquisitiveness is promoted by providing open-ended materials that allow them to embark on projects driven by personal appeal. The learning environment isn’t structured. Instead, Reggio Emilia teachers observe and gently guide each individual, letting them dictate the journey and outcomes.
Natural curiosity is dynamic. An interest in one thing evolves along a personalised path, often leading to random – but interconnected – discoveries.
In the Reggio Emilia setting, this is encouraged through intelligent, or open-ended, materials. These are items that provide a child with unlimited options, creating opportunities that are unique to whatever piques their interest. Examples include:
In short, objects that promote sensory discovery. It’s why you’ll see abundant natural materials within a Reggio Emilia classroom. These are far more interesting to look at, touch and smell than plastic. Even the simple act of sitting at a wooden table, with its different hues, knots, curves and bumps is far more thought-provoking than a dull expanse of plastic.
Such items stimulate multiple senses. From the gritty feel of sand to the roughness of twigs, the fragrance of flowers to the colours of paints and crayons, children can use and play with them how they choose. No two minds are alike – the journey of one child will likely be very different from those of their peers.
Early learning educators in the Reggio Emilia environment are highly skilled at noticing the direction of interest and adapting the curriculum in response. In addition, such open learning environments also nurture social interactions. This often leads to larger-scale projects that span days, weeks or even months, with input from other pupils or even the whole classroom. But the key element is that the direction is wholly influenced by the child (or children), with the teacher playing only a guiding role and not dictating the outcome.
Such provocations – something that stirs up interest and stimulates further exploration – create a truly delightful educational model. The building blocks of future education are rooted in these crucial early years. Developing a love of learning stems from indulging natural curiosity. The provision of materials that actively encourage this is key - it’s the very meaning of the Reggio Emilia concept of,
The environment is the third teacher.
Being encouraged to let their curiosity meander in whatever direction they choose cultivates a desire to find out more. In combination with the other core concepts of the Reggio Emilia approach – the child as the protagonist, the hundred languages of children, collaborative work between children, teachers and parents, and the teacher as the researcher and co-learner – young students are provided with the ultimate starting blocks of a lifetime of fulfilment and success.
At Evoke Early Learning, our childcare philosophy is centred around these key Reggio Emilia principles. From nursery, through toddler to kindy, our team is dedicated to creating the very best preschool environment for our children.
Book a tour to come and see us in action – our friendly team would love to show you our wonderful early learning environment.
Basic maths skills are easy to introduce to little ones. Rather than thinking of this as a complex subject that is only taught at school, there are loads that parents and caregivers can do to introduce the foundations of maths in a really fun way.
The key to a great learning experience is enjoyment. The pinnacle of education is when you don’t even realise you’re receiving it – and it’s really easy to introduce this philosophy during a child’s earliest years.
Maths isn’t solely about numbers. It’s also about shapes, angles, patterns, size, space and relationships between things. Learning to count is something that we naturally start to introduce to our children – but this is only one of the six easy steps you can take to lay important maths foundations.
As you can see, learning basic maths concepts isn’t as complicated as sitting down and doing actual maths! Turning learning into a game is the very best way you can help your child grasp the concepts upon which further mathematical skills will grow.
At Evoke Early Learning, we utilise the world-famous Reggio Emilia approach that embraces such a fun approach to learning. At the heart of everything we do while looking after your children, this is the ultimate way to nurture a child’s passion for knowledge, encourage their natural curiosities and help them discover and embrace their place and identity in the world around them.
Discover more about our programs, values and Early Years Learning Framework – and book a tour to see our passionate team in action.
The first few years of a child’s life have the biggest impact on their future. It’s during these critical times that vital neural connections are being forged, a love of discovery and learning is nurtured, and the stable building blocks of independence are being laid… The crucial foundations from which the future adult will rise are sown during these precious years.
That’s why Evoke Early Learning follows a curriculum that embraces the ultimate proven early education method that sets your child up for a life of success – the Reggio Emilia Approach.
The Reggio Emilia Approach has its roots in Northern Italy. Developed after World War 2 by a teacher who worked with local parents to provide childcare after the conflict, it was based on the following:
And very importantly (not to mention ground-breaking):
This all stemmed from the (very much ground-breaking at the time) opinion that the adult the child had the potential to become was wholly influenced during the earliest developmental years.
This innovative approach that began in a tiny Northern Italian village wasn’t just a step in the right direction… It spawned a whole new early education movement that’s now embraced in well over 145 countries and territories around the world.
Naturally, the concept has evolved. As our understanding of child development has increased and the importance of the environment in which they learn, play and grow has been proven, so the approach has been further honed.
Today, the Reggio Emilia Approach has seven guiding principles. However, even while the original concepts have been increased and reworded, the original vision still holds true. In 2024, this early educational curriculum is based around the following:
So, what makes it so effective – and how does it support your child’s future success?
Children love to explore. From watching a crawling ant to marvelling at the feel of silky sand pouring through their fingers, probing this natural curiosity promotes the joy of learning. A child will naturally gravitate towards what interests them – and this is wholly encouraged at Evoke. This drives self-learning and allows a child to discover their natural drive and desire to learn more. These are the vital seeds that will power future interests, study and the ability to forge a pathway through life that brings fulfilment and satisfaction.
The role of the Evoke childhood educator is to encourage children to follow their passion, but also to share and collaborate with others. Each child is unique and learns in their own way – we’re here to gently guide the journey. Interactions with other children and their teachers promote a sense of community and the learning of positive social skills. It also provides a safe place where children can begin to navigate environmental complexities at their own pace. This helps create the building blocks of confidence – something that provides the basis upon which solving future challenges can spring from.
Listening and learning are key relationship-building skills. We promote an environment where children not only feel safe, but are actively encouraged to express themselves, ask questions, pause for reflection and explore positive interaction with both teachers and their peers.
One thing you might hear about the Reggio Emilia Approach is that there are 100 languages. This describes the many different ways in which humans express themselves. Whilst the act of talking is one of these, there many other – often subtle – ways that we signal to those around us. From body language to facial expressions, the spoken word to communicating through music, art, dance and more – and, of course, the many different languages that our delightfully multi-cultural landscape brings.
A sense of belonging is key to positive development. Yes, exploration and group participation are key to exploration and learning, but feeling part of a community is an essential human need. Our highly skilled educators help like-minded children play and discover together, further boosting the educational journey and development of key physical and psychological skills.
The Evoke team welcomes conversations to help parents and caregivers further understand the Reggio Emilia Approach. Or why not book a tour at either our Albert Park or Clayton centre to see us in action and get to meet us face to face? We look forward to hearing from you.
If you’re investigating childcare and early education options for your little one (or your future little one!) and live in or around Melbourne’s south eastern suburbs, then Evoke Early Learning in Clayton should be on your radar.
As with all our Evoke Early Learning centres, our Clayton site is inspired by the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy which emphasises children's natural curiosity. This globally acclaimed and highly successful approach values each and every child as capable, confident and competent and able to self-direct their learning process according to what inspires and interests them.
This child-focused approach informs the entire way of life at our Evoke centres.
We’ll chat about why Evoke Early Learning is one of the best early schools in Clayton, but first let’s take a look at some of the core aspects of a great child care centre.
There are plenty of different elements involved in quality early education including:
We’re often asked how these elements are entrenched across the fairly extensive age range that we look after (we have 165 places for children aged from six months to five years at our Clayton site) and our answer is simple.
Relationships are at the heart of our centres and our values underpin all that we do at Evoke Early Learning in Clayton.
These values provide a framework for our attitudes and our actions and are the guiding compass for how the team goes about their work each and every day.
This article on why high quality child care matters for children’s development may help you make a decision about your child’s future.
First of all, we have total faith in Reggio Emilia as the very best way for little people to learn and grow. It’s an approach to early education as opposed to a model and schools that adopt this philosophy use it to inspire and inform daily life rather than to prescribe a rigid framework. And we know from experience just how successful this approach is in empowering young children, building their self-confidence, developing key skills and inspiring a lifelong love of learning.
Our Evoke Early Learning Clayton team has extensive experience working with young babies through to pre-school and kindergarten-aged children and with their total dedication to their craft, genuine care and concern for every individual child and a deep passion for inspiring their charges to be their best selves, they’ve created safe, happy, engaging and welcoming spaces where parents feel totally comfortable leaving their precious bundles and where the children love to be.
We’d love to meet you if you’re on the lookout for a quality childcare centre close to Oakleigh, Clayton and neighbouring suburbs such as Chadstone, Clarinda, Glen Waverley, Huntingdale, Mount Waverley, Mulgrave, Notting Hill, Springvale and Wheelers Hill.
We know that words don’t tell the full story and we also know that first-hand experience is the very best way to find the right childcare or kindergarten for your child. That’s why we encourage you to book a tour to see our nurturing space for yourself so that you can form your own opinion.
Please get in touch with the friendly team at Evoke Early Learning in Clayton to book a personal tour and see our centre in action!
We understand that choosing a child care centre for your little one can be a challenge, but if you live near South Melbourne, look no further than Evoke Early Learning in Albert Park.
While it may sound like we’re blowing our own trumpet, we’re confident that Evoke Early Learning in Albert Park is one of the best early schools close to South Melbourne. We truly believe that the way of life here, our beautiful and inspiring spaces, our educational philosophy, our strong values, our supportive relationships, our experienced and caring team and our overall professionalism in everything that we do sets us apart from other child care centres and kindergartens.
But don’t take our word for it! Check out our many Google reviews and our 4.5 star rating and if you’d like to experience our centre for yourself before you make that all-important decision, we warmly invite you to book a tour.
For starters, everyday life at our centre is guided by the globally acclaimed Reggio Emilia approach to early education. This innovative philosophy recognises, values and respects each child as a uniquely creative, curious and capable individual who can self-direct their own learning based on their passions, observations and interests.
Reggio Emilia is widely acknowledged as setting a strong foundation for a young child’s readiness for entry into kindergarten and early school and for inspiring a lifelong love of learning.
We know from experience that children thrive in play-based environments and that’s why our classrooms and outdoor areas have been carefully designed and purposefully resourced to support this self-guided curriculum through play. Our safe and nurturing spaces have also been curated to suit the children’s different developmental stages.
Our spaces are also very nature-forward because the Reggio Emilia approach believes that the environment is the ‘third teacher’ (alongside the educators and the child’s parents, family and community).
Another important differentiator is our inclusive and authentic environment which is culturally representative of the community around us. Everyone is welcome - and made to feel welcome.
We’ve talked about Reggio Emilia and how this inspirational philosophy has influenced the way of life at Evoke Albert Park, but it’s also important to know how your child will benefit from this approach.
In a nutshell, our approach builds the following skills and abilities:
Our centre supports every aspect of a baby and young child’s development - and for some useful background on the vital formative years, check out this article on why high-quality child care matters for children’s development.
Professional, trusting and reciprocal relationships are at the heart of what we do.
We put enormous value on nurturing strong and positive relationships between educators and the children, between our school team and the child’s family, between the children themselves and between the children and the wider community. In short, we value people.
Our team is comprised of professionals who dedicate their heads, hearts and hands to supporting and guiding your child to thrive.
Integrity is another defining characteristic of Evoke Early Learning Albert Park. We do what we say we’ll do and we’ll always be transparent and open. Your family will be an integral member of our wider school family and we welcome your participation as an active partner, collaborator and co-advocate for your little one during these vital formative years of learning.
We’re also deeply committed to setting the benchmark in terms of excellence in early education and care. We don’t want to be ‘just another child care centre’. We aim to be the best.
A final word on why you should consider Evoke Early Learning Albert Park If your child is aged from six months to five years and you’re considering child care options in the area around South Melbourne, we’d love to meet your family. We have 135 places at our premises located at 230 Albert Road, South Melbourne and you can get in touch us through the website, by phone on 03 9682 2220 or via email at admin.albertpark@evokeearlylearning.com.au.
If you’ve chosen a Reggio Emilia-inspired early learning school for your child or are considering enrolling them in one which embraces the principles of this child-centric philosophy, you may be interested to learn how to incorporate Reggio Emilia ideas in your home.
After all, the Reggio Emilia philosophy is a lifestyle approach, not confined to a classroom setting - so establishing a harmonious continuity between school and the home will give your child the very best platform for a lifelong love of learning.
Reggio Emilia views all children as capable, creative and independent learners who have an innate curiosity about the world around them. This unique method of early childhood education puts the child at the centre of their learning experience, pursuing topics which interest them and learning at their own pace.
The approach also recognises that children express themselves in a myriad ways (read our blog to learn more about the ‘100 Languages of Children’). It emphasises engagement, experimentation, self-expression and problem-solving with stimulating, multi-sensory and aesthetically-pleasing environments acting as the ‘third teacher’. The other ‘teachers’ are educators, the community and parents who are seen as co-constructors of knowledge and collaborators guiding the child’s learning journey.
Creating a sense of excitement and energy at home will help continue the child’s learning process outside of our Evoke Early Learning classrooms.
If you bear the following in mind, it will be easier to maintain seamless connections to their learnings at school and facilitate your child’s ongoing exploration and discovery while they’re at home.
Here are some practical, easy ways that you can support your child’s learning journey at home and make it more meaningful.
The entrenched traditional approach which puts children as empty vessels and parents and educators as the imparters of knowledge can make it feel counter-intuitive to let your child direct their own path of learning. With practice however, this approach does become easier and you will soon see the benefits of watching your curious, creative and capable child learn, grow and thrive through their self-directed enquiry.
They will of course, need your guidance, support, humour, encouragement and love along the way - and together with input from the caring and professional team at our Reggio Emilia-inspired Evoke Early Learning Centres in Clayton and Albert Park, you can set your child up for a lifelong love of learning and wonder and appreciation for the world around them.
You probably already know that there are a number of different approaches to early education and you may be wondering which one is best for your little one. Choosing a childcare centre or early school is a big decision and it’s definitely not a case of ‘one-size-fits-all’.
This article examines two of the most popular and successful approaches - Reggio Emilia and Montessori - which share similarities but also many differences. The article will be helpful if you are weighing up your options and need to start making decisions about enrolling your child or putting their name on a waiting list.
Before we delve into the two methodologies, let’s take a quick look at how they started out.
Both Montessori and Reggio Emilia have their origins in post-war Italy in the early 20th century.
Montessori was founded by Italian educator, physician and scientist, Dr Maria Montessori who opened her first school in a slum in inner city Rome in 1907. Despite community misgivings about the previously unschooled children’s ability to learn, she was determined to succeed and soon observed that they were absorbing knowledge from their surroundings and were essentially teaching themselves.
Within a few months, she opened several more schools and news of the alternative, child-centric approach quickly spread. Today, there are thousands of Montessori schools all over the world and many of Dr Montessori’s original ideas have been incorporated into mainstream education.
The Reggio Emilia approach was borne out of a desire by a community of working parents in a small northern Italian town of the same name to find a different kind of ‘doing’ childcare. They joined forces with local educator and psychologist, Loris Malaguzzi and in 1963, they opened the first secular preschool to focus on child-directed learning rather than teacher-led instruction.
Since then, the approach has also gained enormous worldwide popularity, fostering critical thinking and collaboration skills among young children by recognising each child’s potential, innate curiosity and creativity and their capabilities and competencies. The Reggio Emilia approach follows 12 principles.
Both are alternative early childhood educational methods which aim to educate the whole child and both seek to create respectful, responsible and engaged citizens who live harmoniously with others.
They both embrace the concept that every child has an innate potential for learning in a variety of ways and are centred on the child’s self-selection of activities and participation.
Here’s what the two methodologies share:
Both approaches welcome and encourage involvement by the whole school community, especially parents and caregivers. In Reggio schools, particular focus is placed on education being a partnership with the wider community.
Here’s how the two approaches differ:
The first thing to understand is that one approach is not better than the other. They’re similar in many ways, but they’re also quite different and the important thing is to find a school which is the best fit for your child. Doing thorough research before making a choice of early learning is vital. If you’re considering a Reggio Emilia kindergarten, you’re welcome to book a tour of one of our Evoke Early Learning childcare centres in Clayton or Albert Park. Our friendly and professional team has all the information you need to make a well-considered decision and we look forward to meeting you.
