Be Inspired

The pre-schools of Reggio Emilia, in northern Italy, came to international attention in 1991 when Newsweek magazine named one of its schools, the Diana School, one of the ten best schools in the world. Since then, interest in the Reggio approach has grown enormously. The two visits of the exhibition 'The 100 Languages of Children' to the UK in 1997 and 2000 drew audiences of more than 50,000 people. Over 300 professionals from the UK have joined study tours to Reggio Emilia to see the philosophy in practice in the region's pre-schools and infant-toddler centres.

The Reggio approach is not a 'method' or a solution which can be transplanted wholesale from one culture to another. However, through learning more about its innovative ideas, many early years educators in this country have been inspired to re-evaluate their ways of working with young children and parents. Those who have been inspired by the Reggio approach have adopted aspects of the philosophy and adapted them to be culturally appropriate to the UK.