The best time to teach a child a lesson is when they’re still young. When a child is still learning from preschool and elementary, these are vital times to set the foundations of their social and cognitive development. At this age, most school teachers and parents should be using various teaching methods since children can easily learn during this time period.
But one of the age-old debates that have been raging for centuries is still one of the most prevalent topics among parents today: should children focus on learning or playing? When children are focusing on learning, they will have the necessary “technical” skills that will help them throughout much of their adult lives. At the same time, playing is an important way of experiencing different life lessons and nurturing a person’s interpersonal skills.
So what’s the best way of helping a child develop? Well, having a balance of both learning and playing can help a child develop. The Reggio Emilia approach is known for being a learning process that is focused on both.
So how effective is the Reggio Emilia approach? How does it help in a child’s development? We’ll be discussing in detail what you can do to accelerate your child’s learning.
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What Is the Reggio Emilia Approach?
A psychologist named Loris Malaguzzi first developed this teaching method right after the second World War. Reggio Emilia is the name of a village that the psychologist helped.
This method was first created for preschool children and prioritized honing their capabilities, gaining experiences, and knowing their interests early. But compared to the “regular” educational system that most people are used to, this is more focused on experience-based learning through playing and fostering a better sense of independence through child-led learning.
Major Cornerstones of Your Child’s Development
You’ll need to keep in mind three major factors when it comes to your child’s development. Here’s what you’ll need to know.
The Child
First and foremost, learning will always start with the child. Children will learn through exploring, being curious about the world around them, and being creative when faced with problems. While parents want to guide their children on what they should and shouldn’t be doing, this approach will help children have more “freedom” in being creative.
Although, most parents will need to invest in art materials and toys that their children can choose so they can effectively observe their behavior.
The Child’s Mentors
The next key factor that will play a major role in a children’s life is interaction with teachers and parents. Although parents and teachers will help guide children, they should take up a more “transparent” approach and observe the child instead.
Children should be able to pave their own way towards their learning process. Although, help is not completely out of the picture since parents and teachers can still help. If there are some complicated subjects, then the child’s mentors should explain them to them.
Investing in Your Child’s Surroundings
One of the major teachers that will; help form the identity and the interests of your child is their environment. By nurturing their environment, it’s easier to help them develop their skills and explore their wants.
You’ll need to ask your child what they are interested in at the current moment and later when they’re older. Based on their preferences, you can then help decorate their room and your home to something that can help them become more creative.
Most experts would suggest making your home’s interiors more wide, open, and versatile. This makes it more conclusive to play with some art materials and tools. When it comes to their room, you can always use fun and engaging wallpapers. Fortunately, there are wallpapers for kids’ rooms that are great ways of boosting their creativity.
Children are natural fast learners, and most of them should be exploring the outside world and experiencing different activities. Since they are learning new things, this will help them hone much of their skills.
Not only will children acquire new hobbies and abilities, but they’ll be able to know more about themselves and their strengths and witnesses. Developing abilities and hobbies at an early age is paramount in knowing how they’ll develop in their teenage and adult years.
The bottom line? The Reggio Emilie approach is definitely one of the more effective means of teaching children different lessons in life. However, other teaching methods shouldn’t be ruled out. After all, every child is unique in their own way, and there should be a balance of learning and playing.
