Reggio Inspired Program
Early Childhood Guiding Principles
The following guiding principles underpin the Early Childhood practices at ACS.
The Image of the Child
- Each child is a whole and unique individual with their own perspective, interests, ways of learning, and level of development.
- Children have the right to be listened to and understood, and to have their autonomy respected.
- Children bring stories, knowledge, and experience with them into the classroom, which allows unique and meaningful connections to new experiences.
- Children are at the center of their learning.
- Children drive their learning through exploration, experimentation and social interaction.
- Children are curious, competent at constructing knowledge, and capable of making sense of the world around them.
The Role of the Teacher
- Acknowledges and values each child.
- Fosters trusting relationships.
- Is a researcher, facilitator, and partner in learning.
- Creates a safe and rich environment for learning.
- Is a keen listener and observer of children’s thinking and learning.
- Collects and processes documentation to deepen their understanding of children’s prior knowledge, schema, development, interests, and ways of engaging.
- Shares their learning and the children’s learning with the wider community.
- Works collaboratively with their co-teachers, colleagues, parents, and administration.
The Environment
- Is created with intention.
- Is warm and welcoming.
- Is fluid and reflects children’s developing identity.
- Encompasses our relationships to physical space, indoors and out, materials, and time.
- Nurtures social relationships on all levels, creating a psychologically safe space for all.
- Provides multiple opportunities for children to freely explore materials and ideas while interacting with and learning from each other.
Homeroom Daily Practices
Our daily interactions with children are grounded in the interconnected practices of active listening, facilitation, and documentation.
Listening serves as a window into the child’s perspective. It is an intentional practice that leads us to a deeper understanding of the child. Through listening, we gather the information needed to facilitate children’s learning. The facilitation is responsive and purposeful. It enables children to construct knowledge, giving them ownership of their learning.
Documentation makes the learning process visible. It is the practice of recording and reflecting on children’s interactions with the environment in order to further their understanding.
The daily learning components in the following sections are numerous in the first few years in our childhood program. These practices become fewer in the upper grades as more structure is added to the program.
Morning Meeting
What | How | Why |
Morning Meeting Gathering on the carpet as a whole group | During this practice, teachers: Facilitate and lead whole-group conversations Encourage children to listen to each other’s contribution Encourage children to share stories and ideas Document children’s learning | Through this practice, children: Settle in for the day Develop a sense of self, community and belonging Develop listening and communication skills Value others’ perspectives Build relationships and community |
Music & Movement
| What | How | Why |
Music & Movement A whole group creative experience | During this practice, teachers: Facilitate and lead whole group interactions with music, including singing, moving, playing instruments and musical games Nurture the connections between music and other languages of expression Use music to support other learning areas (numbers, rhyming words, patterns, new vocabulary) Document children’s learning | Through this practice, children: Develop a love for music Appreciate music as an expressive language Respond to music Find their singing voice Participate in a group activity Find form, pattern, structure in both music and movement Create mental images related to music Explore and understand space and boundaries |
Exploration Time
| What | How | Why |
Exploration Time Engaging in free and guided exploration in different centers/areas in the classroom using open-ended materials | During this practice, teachers: Create Defined Areas (example: Blocks & Drama) Provide Undefined Areas to accommodate emerging areas of interest, provocations and project work Facilitate both Teacher-guided and Child-led exploration for groups of children and individual children Provide open-ended and accessible materials to cater to varying interests and levels of competence Document children’s learning | Through this practice, children: Explore in an environment open to varying levels of competence Express themselves individually and as part of a group Learn with and from each other Develop social skills within a meaningful and authentic context (example: communication, conflict resolution, collaboration, etc.) Develop higher order thinking skills (critical and creative thinking) Form their identity by acting on their desires Make sense of the world around them |
Provocations
| What | How | Why |
Provocations Planned explorations of a specific question, idea, interest, or material to stimulate and challenge children’s thinking Short term investigation with the potential to develop into a project Derived from children’s interests or proposed by teachers | During this practice, teachers: Identify a meaningful context such as a conversation, a book, children’s questions, common interests or behaviors Provide children with tools and materials for further exploration Facilitate the learning by posing questions Document the experience by recording children’s engagement, comments and questions Reflect on the documentation and plan subsequent provocations that will extend the learning | Through this practice, children: Work closely with the teacher and other children Gain familiarity with different languages (clay, wire, paint, sketching, etc.) Develop techniques for working with various languages Experiment and make observations Pose and test theories Represent their thinking and understanding |
Project Work
| What | How | Why |
Project Work An in-depth study of a specific area of inquiry that begins with a provocation that is connected to a concept | During this practice, teachers: Research the concept under study to deepen the teacher’s understanding in order to find ways to connect to children’s interests Plan provocations that are generated from previous provocations and are focused on the line of inquiry Facilitate children’s exchange of ideas and reflections Document children’s comments, observations and creations through photographs, videos and anecdotal notes Process documentation to determine next steps in the project | Through this practice, children: Deepen their understanding of the concept and themselves in relation to the concept under study Expand their knowledge and experience Make a contribution Express their ideas and learn in a group Develop their social skills in a meaningful and authentic context (example: communication, collaboration, etc.) Develop higher order thinking skills (critical and creative thinking) Develop a sense of ownership of their learning Make sense of the world around them |
Read Aloud
| What | How | Why |
Read Aloud Reading books in a whole group or in small groups | During this practice, teachers: Ask questions to activate prior knowledge Invite discussion of illustrations and text Ask questions to check for understanding Highlight and discuss new vocabulary Invite children to make predictions, connections and conclusions Read and re-read the same book Support existing interests and inspire new interests Document children’s learning | Through this practice, children: Develop an awareness of books as a source of knowledge and pleasure Develop oral language and reasoning skills Express and articulate their thoughts Expand their vocabulary Develop the love of reading |
Literacy and Math
The Early Years is the place where the foundation of learning is established. The more we deposit in this foundation, the sturdier the learner and learning. Learning is best attained in a context that is meaningful to children.
Literacy
For children to love reading and develop into readers and writers, we should build a solid foundation. What does this foundation comprise?
- In Nursery, we foster the development of the children’s reasoning and oral skills, broaden and deepen their background knowledge and expand their vocabulary bank. We immerse the children in various learning experiences that enable them to express themselves, communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings, and make sense of the world around them.
- In KG1, the work started in Nursery continues. Added to it is the phonological awareness, concepts of print and alphabet letters that are implicitly introduced through books, songs, and transition and group games. This is all done in a holistic approach where all areas of learning are integrated. Literacy games are available for children who are ready and ask for them. “Children learn literacy when they go to it not when it comes to them.”
- In KG2, the foundational building components continue to be fostered. The element that is added to the curriculum is the American Education Reaches Out (AERO) literacy standards. These standards are addressed through the Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop. The components of the workshop are tweaked and meshed with the Reggio Emilia approach to enable the children to enjoy learning and develop at their own pace.
Math
Children are naturally curious. As they wonder about the world around them and as they play and socialize with peers, they think mathematically although they are not aware of this. As we believe that Math thinking requires the ability to put things in relationships to solve problems, we encourage children to solve all kinds of problems socially, emotionally, physically and cognitively.
- In Nursery, we set the foundation of mathematical thinking by cultivating the development of reasoning skills, and putting things in relationship to solve all sorts of problems: social, emotional, physical and cognitive and to articulate their thinking. Number sense, including the counting principles of ‘Ordered Sequence of Counting Numbers’, ‘The One to One’ principle and ‘The Cardinal’ principle, as well as shapes are promoted through intentionally planned contexts of play that allow for discovery and learning.
- In KG1, the work started in Nursery continues. The children continue to learn math through play. Math provocations become part of daily learning. In addition to the teachers being vigilant and highlighting the Math learning in the various contexts of the classroom, they provide the children with contextualized and meaningful provocations that stimulate the children’s numeracy skills as well as higher-order thinking and solving skills. The children articulate their thinking and share their strategies with classmates. Math games are also part of their daily experiences.
In KG2, the foundational building components continue to be fostered. Math Talks & Math Workshop are added to the daily routines. The children explore and solve problems and solidify their number sense acquisition in context by tackling hands-on provocations. The teacher cultivates the development of each child’s learning strategies and does not teach strategies directly enabling the child to construct their understanding. The child initiates and leads their learning, and the teacher facilitates this learning through questioning to enable them to make their thinking and learning visible.
Specials
Arabic
Arabic is a language that children are exposed to on a daily basis. The Arabic class is 30 minutes in Nursery, 40 minutes in KG1 and 45 minutes in KG2. 3 Arabic team teachers teach every Nursery class, 2 teach KG1 and 2 for KG2. The focus is on promoting the acquisition of oral language skills using Modern Standard Arabic. The Arabic session is interactive between children and teachers. Instruction is done playfully through books, props, puppets, music and movement. Introduction to reading and writing words and sentences takes place in KG2.
Physical Education
In Early Years we dedicate 30 minutes to Physical Education twice per cycle. The children are accompanied by one of their Homeroom teachers in addition to the PE coach. They exercise, learn various physical and social skills, and have fun together.
Music
The music class is led and facilitated by a music teacher, who visits each class twice per cycle. During the 30-minute session with the music teacher and one homeroom teacher, the children develop their natural love for music; they sing and move to different songs responding to rhythm and beat. They also explore various instruments, play them and discover their characteristics.
Library
Developing a love for books and reading starts at an early age. Once per cycle, the children, accompanied by one of their homeroom teachers, meet the teacher librarian in the library. The teacher librarian reads a story after which the children check out books of their choice.
Social Emotional Development and Learning
We believe that the child’s social and emotional development is the foundation of all learning and growth. When the child develops a sense of belonging and is emotionally settled and socially connected, the basis of their wellbeing and learning is well-established. We also believe that each child is unique and develops at their own pace. Therefore, we nurture the child’s learning and growth catering to the individual’s needs and developmental stage.
The adults in the program foster relationship building at all levels: adult-child, child-child, adult-adult and child-environment. The genuine care that the teachers exhibit as they interact with the child, the intent and keenness with which they listen, and the guidance they provide, all allow the child to feel successful. When the child trusts their environment, they open up and reveal their potential.