Reggio Emilia

The Reggio Emilia Approach is a student-centered early childhood educational philosophy that views children as capable, curious, and active drivers of their own learning. We have several Reggio Emilia preschools across the country for your family to discover!

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Reggio Emilia Preschools: Born from Resilience, Built for Curious Minds

The Reggio Emilia approach did not begin in an academic think tank. It was born from necessity and a community’s profound hope.

In the years after World War II, the Italian city of Reggio Emilia lay in ruins. Citizens, determined that their children would never again fall victim to a corrupt leader, began building schools from rubble and teaching with objects found in nature. Their conviction was simple and radical: children who learn to think for themselves cannot be manipulated. The first official Reggio Emilia school opened in 1963, and what began as a community act of resistance became one of the world’s most celebrated educational philosophies.

Newsweek once named Reggio Emilia-inspired schools among the best approaches to early childhood education in the world. The philosophy has since spread to thousands of classrooms globally, and for good reason: it works.

The Heart of Reggio: The 100 Languages of Children

Reggio Emilia’s founder, Loris Malaguzzi, wrote a famous poem declaring that children have “100 languages” — 100 ways of thinking, exploring, playing, speaking, loving, and understanding the world. Traditional schooling, he argued, steals 99 of those languages, leaving only words and numbers.

At Cadence’s Reggio-inspired classrooms, we give all 100 back. Drawing, painting, building, storytelling, music, movement, dramatic play — every mode of expression is a valid and valued form of learning and communication.

What Makes Reggio Emilia Different

In a Reggio Emilia environment, you will not see a teacher standing at the front of the room delivering a lesson. You will see children deeply engaged in long-term projects they helped design. You will see their work — not commercially produced worksheets — filling every wall, documenting the journey of their thinking. And you will see teachers listening, questioning, and documenting, because in Reggio, teachers are considered researchers alongside the children.

The Three Teachers in Reggio Emilia Philosophy

1. The Child’s Peers

Collaboration is central. Children learn to negotiate, problem-solve, and create together. Working in small groups teaches social intelligence alongside academic content.

2. The Teacher as Guide

Reggio teachers do not simply deliver information — they observe, ask questions, and document. They trust children’s ideas enough to follow them. They pose problems rather than supplying answers.

3. The Environment

In Reggio Emilia philosophy, the environment is called the “third teacher.” Classrooms are intentionally beautiful, calm, filled with natural light and materials, and organized to invite exploration. Nothing is accidental.

Documentation as Respect

Learning is made visible throughout the school — on classroom walls, in hallways, in portfolios — because documenting children’s work honors it. It also helps parents see and understand how their child is growing.

Key Outcomes for Your Child

Strong social and emotional intelligence through collaborative project work

Creative and critical thinking skills built through open-ended inquiry

Communication confidence across multiple modes of expression

Deep curiosity and a positive relationship with learning itself

Fine motor, gross motor, and cognitive development integrated into meaningful activity
A sense of agency — children experience their ideas as valuable and worth pursuing