Reggio Inspired? Questioning the Golden Standard for Early Childhood Education

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Perspectives in Early Childhood Practice: Rethinking Documentation, Assessment, and Performance

Abstract

The field of early childhood education is enriched with philosophies like Reggio. Early childhood teacher education needs to take a cue from strengths-based approaches like Reggio to see teachers as whole, competent and capable individuals. To begin this discussion, we must think about the forces of globalization and neoliberalism in schools and society. The Reggio network is a great example of how a philosophy, an ideology has shaped the way educators around the world are thinking about early childhood education. Yet, as a field, we need to constantly challenge the discourses in which one approach becomes the golden standard, and therefore creates hegemonic notions of the right way to do early childhood education.

Author

• Ayesha Rabadi-Raol, Sonoma State University