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The Reggio Emilia approach is a widely recognised early years curriculum in Dubai, and here's why it could be right for your child
The UAE offers over 17 different curricula through hundreds of schools for parents and children to choose from. With so many options, which early years curriculum then is best for your kids?
We take a look at one of the most widely recognised curricula in early education, Reggio Emilia, to help you assess whether it's right for your child.
What is the Reggio Emilia approach?
Reggio Emilia is a widely recognized learning approach which was first founded by a group of parents with the desire for their children to experience a stimulating and nurturing learning environment.
The Reggio Emilia approach recognizes that each child is a natural researcher and has the desire for knowledge. A Reggio Emilia learning environment is fun, creative, stimulating, nurturing and safe.
Another attribute of a Reggio Emilia education is that children are active participants and take the lead in the direction of their learning, according to their own interests. Emphasis is on exploration, creative expression in a nurturing environment.
Working in groups is an important element of this approach which fosters vital life skills such as:
- Collaboration
- Respect for others
- Communication
- Responsibility
- Problem solving
- Creativity
The advantage of this is that children build social skills, learn from others and are also prepared to solve problems.
With this learning approach, teachers are children’s partners in learning and provide supportive materials which cater to multiple learning styles.
Teachers also listen, observe and document the progress of each child, keeping parents informed at every step. Daily journals, child-specific observations and children’s artwork are all important in catering to the learning process of each child.
Reggio Emilia schools in Dubai
Odyssey Nursery, with branches located across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, specializes in the Reggio Emilia approach with spaces that are specially designed for experiential learning at the core of each room.
The Reggio Emilia philosophy believes that the environment is another teacher, so materials inspire creativity and there is careful use of color and attention to organic elements including natural light. With a large outdoor space, children learn from nature and do a variety of activities including planting, reading, science experiments and more.
At Odyssey Nursery in Burj, they accept children up to 5 years old and offers trilingual learning in English, Arabic and French.
Catering to working families' busy schedules, Odyssey offers a range of flexible hours. Odyssey Burj aims to offer a fun, nurturing and empowering learning experience where each child is given the opportunity to succeed.
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