The Reggio Emilia philosophy in Finland

Loris Malaguzzi thinking reflects on social constructivism as:

• knowledge requires an active construction by the subject;
• it is collocated in the concrete context;
• it is shaped through particular forms of collaboration and negotiation.

The system evolved from a parent cooperative movement into a city-run system that exercises a leadership role in Italy and throughout Europe, and now increasingly in Asia, Australia, North America, and other parts of the world.
The Reggio Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, is known as a source of innovation and reflection (Dahlberg, Moss, & Pence, 1999). Programs in Reggio are family centered and serve children at infant-toddler and preschool levels. Reggio Emilia is not a formal model, with defined methods, teacher certification standards, and accreditation processes. Instead, educators in Reggio Emilia speak of their evolving "experience" and see themselves as a provocation and reference point, a way of engaging in dialogue starting from a strong and rich vision of the child (as Edwards, Gandini, and Forman put it).

Study case: a kindergarden in Finland
The kindergarden in Perustie 40, in Helsinki uses the Malaguzzi pedagogical method.
We contacted Arja Jokinen, brilliant and pleasant director of the school, who will accompany us in this exploration trip.
Exploration, as the children are continuously doing in the Reggio Emilia approach.
On Monday we have reserved a time span for our meeting.
We are gonna visit them and make an interview to help us understanding the critical points of the methodology chosen.

Basic concepts:
How did the idea of applying this pedagogical method came? How did the Reggio Emilia method reached Finland? When did it happen (in Italy they started in the sixties)?

Main idea / principles:
What is the parents´role and and the dynamics created between parents-children-teachers?
In this perspectives, what are the power relationships evolving and how they are created?
How is the space organized within the premises?

Working methods:
What kind of exercises / working methods do you use?
What is the formation of the teachers?
How do you document the children´s work?

Evaluation:
What are the main differences from the Steiner´s perspective?
What are the added values comparing to the other kindergardens / other methods?

Networking / events:
What kind of events / formation is available in Finland for this kind of approach?
Do you collaborate with the Reggio Emilia main institution in Italy?

We are very excited to go exploring this new territory...