Overview

The Olive Tree is a Reggio- Emilia inspired preschool. Reggio- Emilia is an innovative curriculum that recognizes the rights and potentials of children to question, reflect, problem solve, theorize, experiment and express their findings through the hundred languages of children.

Example of Reggian curriculum from a parent’s perspective:

All of the listed elements are included, but in the context of an emergent curriculum. An example: One learning group voted to develop a ‘cruise ship’ project. In the course of the project, with teachers and parents enriching and supporting the children’s interests, they: Looked at maps and schedules, and learned about how tides and weather would affect their imaginary trip; Made a blueprint and created many models and drawings, and labeled the parts; Brought swimming suits to school and pretended to scuba dive and slide down their ‘water slide’ into the ‘water’ represented by the blue rug, where they played with starfish and other toys; Modeled the decks with blocks; Developed and sang a song about cruising to Hawaii; Learned the rules to shuffleboard and played that and other ’ship games’ ; Pretended to dance in their ship’s dance hall; Built an amazing ship out of recycled materials, complete with anchor, chain, steamer, engine compartment, cafeteria, swimming pool, cat, portholes, rail, clock; engaged with parents in a bon voyage party when they ’set sail,’ and a potluck luau ‘in Hawaii.’ There are also formal elements to the day, like ‘morning news’ and Music Together classes. (c5 preschool, San Francisco, Ca.)