Reggio Emilia at SCH
Our Reggio Emilia-Inspired Early Childhood Program
At SCH's Early Childhood Center, our program is inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy—a child-centered approach to early education that began in Italy in the 1950s. Rather than following a prescribed curriculum, Reggio Emilia views learning as a collaborative journey driven by children's curiosity, creativity, and relationships.
We believe children are capable, confident learners who make meaning through exploration, play, and self-expression. Teachers serve as thoughtful guides, designing engaging experiences based on children's interests while creating environments that spark wonder and discovery.
More than a teaching philosophy, Reggio Emilia shapes our school culture. It helps create a community where every child feels seen, heard, and valued, making learning joyful, meaningful, and deeply connected to the world around them.
Reggio at SCH: Principles in Practice
Children as Capable
From setting the table for snack to initiating play themes, children are active participants in their learning and daily routines.
Learning through relationships
Small group learning and collaborative projects foster empathy, teamwork, and meaningful connections.
The Hundred Languages of Children
Our students use clay, watercolor, dramatic play, song, and storytelling to express complex ideas and emotions.
Environment as Third Teacher
Our light-filled classrooms, 62-acre campus, and nearby Wissahickon Valley inspire curiosity and hands-on exploration every day.
Teachers as researchers
Educators carefully observe, document, and respond to children's thinking, often revisiting learning moments to extend understanding.
Documentation
Learning is made visible through photo panels, student quotes, portfolios, and classroom journals. These are valuable tools that help children revisit and reflect.
Emergent Curriculum
When a child notices mushrooms on the forest trail, it may become the catalyst for a week-long investigation of growth, decay, storytelling, and nature art.
A Seamless Bridge to Lower School
The values and practices rooted in Reggio Emilia don’t end at the ECC; they evolve! In SCH’s Lower School, children continue to learn through inquiry, collaboration, and purposeful exploration. The habits cultivated in early childhood, such as curiosity, empathy, independence, and reflection, are the same capacities that drive deep learning in literacy and humanities, mathematics, science, and the arts.
Faculty in the Lower School build on children’s foundation in:
- Thematic, interdisciplinary units that begin with big questions that children with deep engagement over a longer period.
- Student voice and choice in how learning unfolds.
- Close teacher-student relationships that are grounded in observation and care.
- Outdoor and experiential education as an extension of the classroom.
At every step, SCH honors the image of the child as a thinker, contributor, and capable learner, starting in the ECC and continuing through grade 4 and beyond.