Welcoming all of EYFS to our new Atelier...

In the Reggio Emilia educational approach, there is an expression, “A child has a hundred languages.” These languages refer to art, innovation, nature, construction, fantasy, music, dance, building, writing, talking, signing, science and more. An education incorporating these multiple languages helps children build knowledge and understand the world around them.

With the Reggio Emilia approach, a child is considered a competent, capable and natural researcher who wants to learn and explore. To encourage this, many Reggio Emilia schools offer an Atelier for children to use.

What is an Atelier?

“Atelier” means “art studio” or “workshop” in French. A Reggio Emilia Atelier is a welcoming and inspiring place offering a wide variety of natural and man-made materials for artistic expression. Here, children of all ages come individually or in small groups to encounter experiences with these different media that will progressively support all their languages of expression. The early exploration of the visual arts offers children endless possibilities.

Inside the Atelier

In the Reggio Emilia approach, the environment is the third teacher. Nowhere is this more evident as in the Atelier. A bright and welcoming space, the Atelier is designated for children to explore and have fun. Materials such as clay, paper, fabric, wire, light, beads, shells, leaves and wood, among others, are available for children to explore as they see fit. The Atelier is designed to encourage collaboration as well as creativity, and children are can work together with their peers to complete a project or discover new ideas. In the Atelier, the mood is calm and inspiring. Children go at their own pace, and learn to problem-solve and express themselves without time limits or restrictions.

Ateliers are led by an Atelierista, a teacher who is a partner in the child’s artistic journey. The Atelierista encourages the child to experiment and create, and collaborates with individual children and small groups to support their ongoing learning. As part of the Reggio Emilia educational approach, the Atelierista documents each child’s process to further understand and celebrate their ideas.

The benefits of a Reggio Emilia Atelier

An Atelier in a Reggio Emilia school encourages experimentation, intuition and spontaneous creativity. The wide variety of materials allows for free expression of ideas. The Atelier, along with other spaces in a Reggio Emilia school, invites children to invent, create and explore themselves through art.

In addition to encouraging creativity and self-expression, the Atelier promotes other benefits for children. Exposure to art develops important life skills, including motor skills, cognitive development, and social and emotional skills.

We Welcome our children to the EYFS Atelier …

We have been investigating the color Yellow with the Nursery and Preschool children this month …

WHAT ARE LOOSE PARTS AND WHY ARE THEY BENEFICIAL?

Loose parts is the label given to any collection of natural or man-made materials that can be used to expand upon children’s play. Loose parts have no specific function or goal. They can be moved, arranged, designed, taken apart and more! The concept was originally created in 1972 by architect Simon Nicholson who describe the use of open-ended materials in a child’s environment, which he believed was strongly linked to creativity and critical thinking later in life. In practicality, loose parts play has been around as long as there have been children to tinker with just about anything they can get their little hands on! Now the concept is widely applied in children’s educational settings around the world.

Introducing loose parts play to children provides them with infinite opportunities to think and create. Loose parts can be used in so many ways and the possibilities are as endless as a child’s imagination. And although the word “play” may indicate otherwise, a great deal of learning happens when children engage with loose parts! One of the greatest benefits of loose parts play is that you can use the same materials with a range of ages and because they are open-ended, there is no shelf life! The same materials can continue to be used in a variety of ways over an extended period of time…..

Introducing Reception and year 1 classes to ” Loose Parts Play”…

There are many beneficial learning outcomes for children in early childhood classrooms if given the opportunity to use cardboard boxes and classroom collage supplies to build and create with.