Loris Malaguzzi

Profile

Loris Malaguzzi was the founding director of the municipal early childhood centres in the area of Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy. Malaguzzi developed a philosophy for Early Childhood Education that is known today as the ‘Reggio Emilia Approach’. Central to this approach is a conceptual view of the child having rights rather than needs. (1)

Key dates

1920 – Born in Correggio, Italy

1963 – Opened the first municipal pre-schools

1971 – Opened the first municipal infant-toddler centres

1981 – Launch of ‘The Hundred Languages of Children’ touring exhibition

1994 – Died at home in Reggio Emilia

Links

• How Children Learn 3

Bronfenbrenner

• How Children Learn 4

Bruner

Dewey

Gardner

Montessori

Piaget

Vygotsky

His life

Loris Malaguzzi was born in 1920 in Correggio, Northern Italy and grew up during the period known as ‘Fascist Italy’. He taught in elementary and middle schools during the Second World War, gaining an Education degree from the University of Urbino in 1946.

After the fall of Fascism at the end of the war in 1945, a group of working parents came together with a shared aim to build a school for their children, where they could acquire the values and skills to develop and sustain a democratic society in the future. Malaguzzi, who was inspired by the strength of their commitment to this task, joined in their efforts to build and run the first school in Villa Cella. He developed further schools with the community in the region until 1963, when the first municipal pre-school for three to six year olds was opened in response to local demand. The first municipal infant-toddler centres for children from three months to three year olds followed in 1971. Malaguzzi was appointed as director of Early Childhood programmes in the region in 1963 and held this post for the next thirty years.

In 1950, Malaguzzi founded the municipal Psycho-Pedagogical Medical Centre, and worked there as a psychologist for 20 years, though he continued his association with the pre-schools during this period. He also worked as a consultant for the Italian Ministry of Education and founded the Gruppo Nazionale Asili Nidi (a national early education research group) in Reggio Emilia in 1980. The ‘Loris Malaguzzi International Centre’, which opened in 2006, supports ongoing early childhood research and study visits to Reggio Emilia.

His writing

• Malaguzzi, L. (1993) For an Education Based on Relationships. Translated from Italian by L. Gandini. Young Children. 49 (1) pp. 9–12.
• Malaguzzi, L. (1994) Your Image of the Child: Where Teaching Begins. Child Care Information Exchange. 96, pp. 52–61.
• Malaguzzi, L. (1995) History, Ideas and Basic Philosophy: An Interview with Lella Gardini. In: Edwards, C., Gandini, L., Foreman, G. eds. The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing.
• Malaguzzi, L. (1996) The Hundred Languages of Children. Reggio Emilia: Reggio Children.

His theory

Malaguzzi’s innovative and creative educational philosophy was influenced by progressive educational theorists, such as Dewey and Vygotsky and by his personal experiences of life under the Fascist regime. Malaguzzi continuously applied and shaped his theoretical views of education in practice from the time when he first worked with parents as a young teacher to lead development of early childhood services until his death. Using a metaphor of riding a bicycle to explain the value of connecting theory to practice, Malaguzzi proposed that we would keep a good balance by pushing two pedals, each representing theory and practice, but by only pushing one of the pedals, we would not travel far. (2)

Malaguzzi viewed education as a collaborative venture between children and adults, where they could explore meanings, engage in critical dialogue and co-construct knowledge together. A significant element of Malaguzzi’s philosophy was his view of the ‘strong’ child, who was a communicator from birth. He advocated that children could communicate in different ways using a ‘hundred languages’ to represent their thinking and emphasised the importance of listening to children. Malaguzzi thought that respectful, co-operative relationships between children and adults were essential to the learning process. He valued parental involvement and advocated opportunities for professional dialogue, reflection and research. As pedagogical leader of early childhood services in the region, Malaguzzi was instrumental in the development of the theory and practices, which are now known as the ‘Reggio Emilia Approach’ to early childhood education. Through ‘The Hundred Languages of Children’ touring exhibition, which was initiated by Malaguzzi, this approach has been widely disseminated and gained international recognition.

Putting the theory into practice:

The following four terms are fundamental aspects of the ‘Reggio Emilia Approach’: (3)

1. The image of the child is conceptualised as a: (4)

• Protagonist, who is strong, rich and capable. Children, teachers and parents are the three central protagonists in the educational process, with the child as the starting point for the curriculum.
• Collaborator, who is interconnected to others within and beyond their community. The formation of children’s identities and their learning takes place through interaction in social contexts.
• Communicator, supported by an atelierista (studio teacher who is trained in the visual arts). The child represents and communicates their thinking and learning in different forms, through a ‘hundred languages’.

2. In the process of negotiated learning, the teacher acts as (4):

• Co-constructor, facilitating and extending the child’s interests and explorations and encouraging them to develop projects. The teacher listens, observes, talks and documents the learning journey.
• Researcher, developing strong, collegial relationships with others to engage in professional development, based on their work and children’s progression.

3. Documentation: (4)

• Exists in different forms, such as photographs, transcripts of children’s language, representations of the child’s thinking and teachers’ commentary on the purpose and process of learning.
• Not only represents an ‘end product’ but is collected throughout the child’s experiences and activities.
• Enables children, parents and other adults in the setting to share their perspectives, understanding and values about the learning process. It helps to make the learning process more ‘visible’ and informs parents about their child’s provision and progression.
• Conveys to the child that their thoughts and actions are noticed, understood, appreciated and can be shared with others.
• Provides a historical archive of the setting’s work.

4. Social relationships: (5)

• The establishment of long-term, meaningful relationships among and between children, parents and teachers is seen as a priority; relationships underpin effective communication, collaborative activity and reciprocity. The physical environment is planned to support relationships by providing spaces for participation and interaction.
• Support the formation of a democratic, just and inclusive school community.
• Facilitate the local community’s interest and engagement in the work of the school.

The Reggio Emilia Approach is fully inclusive; Malaguzzi advocated that all children are active participants and co-constructors in the learning process. Educators at the municipal early childhood centres in the Reggio Emilia region value the rights and contributions of children with additional needs; for example, by identifying children’s strengths in the documentation of their work.

Malaguzzi’s concept of the hundred languages of children acknowledges the validity of children’s use of diverse forms of communication and enables all children to have a ‘voice’ and express themselves through different modes of communication, such as: dance, gesture, shadow play, puppets, maps, construction materials and computers. These different modes of representation are particularly helpful for children with special needs, in particular those with speech and language difficulties.

The provision of visually attractive environments in the Reggio Emilia centres has been termed ‘the third teacher’. Light, shade and colour are used carefully to support children’s sensory experiences and promote their enquiry and participation; for example, by exploring reflection through mirrors. Spaces that enable interaction between community members at the centre are integral to the provision; they facilitate children’s communication and collaboration with others.

The use of long-term projects, which are central to the Reggio pedagogical approach, support children who may need more time to develop their thinking and learning. Projects are formed and developed around the children’s individual interests and therefore promote the involvement of all children in the learning process. They provide meaningful contexts for children with special needs to share experiences and understanding with others.

His influence

Malaguzzi’s pedagogical leadership of the Reggio Emilia approach has been highly influential across early years practice. For example, he advocated that society should collectively support high quality early years provision as a prerequisite for a democratic and fair society. Significant investment in early childhood services since the end of the 20th century in England would seem to acknowledge Malaguzzi’s intuitive view of the value of early years education.

Malaguzzi proposed that professionals, parents and other members of the community work collaboratively to promote learning opportunities for all children. For example, the Reggio Emilia centres employ an atelierista, who supports children’s creative learning and the pedagogista (pedagogical co-ordinator) who supports educators across a group of early childhood centres. This approach is reflected in current practice in early years provision in England; for example, multi-disciplinary teams work collaboratively to support the development and care of children, including those with additional needs.

Malaguzzi also emphasised the importance of educators developing meaningful relationships and listening to children to facilitate their learning. These principles are embedded in early years frameworks in England and elsewhere. Malaguzzi used a metaphor of a ball being tossed in the air by the learner to represent the educative process. He explained that educators should catch ‘the ball that is thrown to us’, because ‘if the ball is not returned [by the educator], then the game is over’. (6) Malaguzzi’s metaphor highlights the significance of adults’ timely and effective response to children to support their learning experience.

Comment

Though the Reggio Emilia Approach is widely known and valued today, it is also recognised that it is unique to its original locality and cannot be readily transformed elsewhere. However, aspects of the approach could be adapted to benefit provision, particularly for children with additional needs. One criticism that has been made of the approach is the lack of curriculum planning and other practices that provide accountability for the setting’s provision. However, Malaguzzi encouraged practitioners to reflect and discuss their practice and the use of documentation provides transparency about practice and supports its evaluation.

References

1. Hewett, V. M. (2001) Examining the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education. Early Childhood Education Journal. 29 (2).
2. Vecchi, V. (2010) Art and Creativity in Reggio Emilia: Exploring the Role and Potential of Ateliers in Early Childhood Education. London: Routledge.
3. Kim, B. S., Darling, F. (2009) Monet, Malaguzzi, and the Constructive Conversations of Preschoolers in a Reggio-Inspired Classroom. Early Childhood Education 37:137–145
4. Wood, E., Attfield, J. (2005) Play, Learning and the Early Childhood Curriculum. 2nd ed. London: Sage.
5. Edwards, C. P. (1995) Democratic Participation in a Community of Learners: Loris Malaguzzi’s Philosophy of Education as Relationship. [Internet]. Available from: Available <http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=famconfacpub>.
6. Tovey, H. (2007) Playing Outdoors: Spaces and Places, Risk and Challenge. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Where to find out more

Abbott, L., Nutbrown, C. (2001) Experiencing Reggio Emilia: Implications for Pre-School Provision. Maidenhead: OUP.

Edwards, C., Gandini, L., Forman, G. eds. (1998) The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach Advanced Reflections. 2nd edn. Westport, CT Ablex Publishing.

Kinney, L., Wharton, P. (2008) An Encounter with Reggio Emilia. London: Routledge.

Rankin, B. (2004) The Importance of Intentional Socialization among Children in Small Groups: A Conversation with Loris Malaguzzi. Early Childhood Education Journal. 32 (2).

Rinaldi, C. (2005) In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, Researching and Learning. London: Routledge.

Thornton, L., Brunton, P. (2010) Bringing the Reggio Approach to your Early Years Practice. London: Routledge.

http://zerosei.comune.re.it/inter/aperto/index.htm

http://zerosei.comune.re.it/inter/nidiescuole.htm