Reggio Emilia at SCH
The Early Childhood Center in Action
At SCH’s Early Childhood Center, our approach is grounded in the Reggio Emilia philosophy, a world-renowned educational model that views children as capable, curious, and full of potential. This approach deeply informs our daily practice, the structure of our classrooms, and our vision for how young children grow and learn best.
What is the Reggio Emilia Approach?
Originating in Italy around the 1950s, the Reggio Emilia philosophy is a child-centered, constructivist approach to early education. It values the innate abilities of children and emphasizes learning through relationships, exploration, and expression. At its core, Reggio is not a static curriculum, but a living philosophy that responds to the needs and voices of children.
Reggio at SCH: Principles in Practice
We see these principles come to life in every corner of the ECC:
- Children as Capable
- Learning Through Relationships
- The Hundred Languages of Children
- Environment as Third Teacher
- Teachers as Researchers
- Documentation
- Emergent Curriculum
Children as Capable
Learning Through Relationships
The Hundred Languages of Children
Environment as Third Teacher
Teachers as Researchers
Documentation
Emergent Curriculum
Why Reggio Matters
The Reggio Emilia® philosophy helps us create a school culture where children feel seen, heard, and valued. It ensures that learning is not only developmentally appropriate but also deeply engaging, joyful, and meaningful. Inside the ECC, Reggio is more than a philosophy—it's a living, breathing part of each child’s day.
Would you like to see how these ideas unfold at each age level?
Explore ECC Classrooms
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.