Below are photos of classroom spaces at The Compass School of Ashburn, VA, whose programs utilize Reggio Emilia-inspired methodologies.  Classroom spaces and provocations are designed to invite active exploration.  Learning environments are routinely being reinvented to keep children interested and engaged.  Thank you for your interest in our school, and please feel free to contact us at compass.ashburn@gmail.com or call us at 571-223-1900 if you would like to learn more about the programs we offer. Our Art Studio classroomOur Inventors Workshop classroomOur ..read more

Below are photos of classroom spaces at The Compass School of Warrenville, IL, whose programs utilize Reggio Emilia-inspired methodologies.  Classroom spaces and provocations are designed to invite active exploration.  Learning environments are routinely being reinvented to keep children interested and engaged.  Thank you for your interest in our school, and please feel free to contact us at compass.warrenville@gmail.com. Nature Center Preschool/PreK classroomInventor’s Workshop classroom, set up for active indoor gross motor play and explorationWorld Markets Preschool/PreK ..read more

What is Reggio Emilia-inspired documentation? Reggio Emilia documentation has the potential to serve many purposes during the children’s learning experience. When defining documentation, we must think of it as a process, an action, a verb, “a systematic act of collecting, interpreting and reflecting on concrete traces of learning” (Gambetti) By centering our attention on children’s learning, documentation can serve as a valuable teaching, research and assessment tool. Looking at how children think and learn and how ideas evolve is not the only focus of Reggio documentation, but it is a central ..read more

Egg cartons, buttons, rocks, pinecones, and old computer parts are all examples of loose materials or loose parts.  These materials are used to support thinking and spark creativity in the individual who manipulates them.  In the article Waste Materials, Tiziana Ciccone describes her travels to Reggio Emilia, Italy and the ideas and programs she took away and adopted into her own curriculum and instruction. During her trip, she visited The Remida Center, which is essentially a warehouse full of recyclable items. She was so impressed with the center’s purpose that she wanted to bring ..read more

The child is made of one hundred. The child has a hundred languages a hundred hands a hundred thoughts a hundred ways of thinking of playing, of speaking. A hundred always a hundred… from the poem “No way. The hundred is there.” by Loris Malaguzzi. Translated by Lella Gandini The Hundred Languages The hundred languages is a key principle of the Reggio-inspired approach.  It refers to communication and emphasizes the importance of providing children with one hundred ways to share their thinking of the world around them.  The hundred languages also represent the infinite amount of pote ..read more

A Reggio-inspired classroom is one that has adopted the core values and beliefs of the Reggio Emilia approach. These values include the image of the child, emergent curriculum, project work, the role of the teacher, the role of the environment, parental involvement, and documentation.  Each child is seen as a strong, capable, independent, and curious being.  Children should always be encouraged to think, explore, investigate, and question the world around them.  Through observation of interactions, a learning experiences curriculum can be created based on each child’s interests ..read more

In the world of education there are a wide range of approaches to learning- some have been around for centuries while others are new to the field. The Project Approach is a type of project-based learning that dates back to the 16th century. The practice understands a child’s natural curiosity and encourages children to communicate, problem-solve, and reflect.  The Project Approach’s learning reaches out into each child’s home, community, and world because children are active participants in making sense of the world around them. The Project Approach involves a set of teaching strateg ..read more

As parents and educators, we assume children naturally know how to play. If they go outside they immediately run to explore the surrounding nature and inside they build creative structures or draw elaborate pictures.  This natural curiosity for the world around them allows children to learn, explore, and build the necessary skills to be successful.  Through engaging in play, children are growing physically, intellectually, socially, and emotionally.  A child who simply wanders around the room observing others but never actually stopping to play or shows no interest in the activi ..read more

It’s your daughter’s birthday and you have gotten her a store bought gift you think she will love. You excitedly hand her the gift, she opens it with wonder and immediately puts the actual gift to the side.  She begins to play with the box, tissue paper, and even the instruction manual that comes in the package. What is going on? Was the gift you purchased a failure? No! This is simply an example of loose parts and the important role they play in a child’s creative and imaginative play. Loose parts include both natural and manufactured materials that can be moved, combined, and taken apar ..read more

Explore the similarities and differences between three major approaches to early childhood education When shopping for a preschool, it takes time to identify a program and curriculum that best fits your child’s particular learning style. Every child is different, and there are a variety of different curriculum approaches to choose from. The Compass School utilizes a Reggio Emilia inspired philosophy, but it is not the only educational philosophy that focuses on the education of the whole child. To help you determine the most suitable approach to early education for your child, we’ve put togeth ..read more