The Princess of Wales is on a fact-finding mission in Italy this week, with a view to learn more about the globally-recognised Reggio Emilia approach to early years education.
It is her first official foreign trip since being diagnosed with cancer two years ago. Back in January this year, Princess Catherine shared the news she was “cancer-free” after undergoing chemotherapy.
Her visit to the northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia (which the early years approach is named after) forms part of her work with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which she founded in 2021.
So, what is the Reggio Emilia approach? And why is it of interest to the Princess? Here’s a quick breakdown…
What is the Reggio Emilia approach?
This is a child-centred approach to early years education where kids are put in the driver’s seat, and given the autonomy to construct their own learning.
Rather than following a strict, set curriculum, much of what is learned happens through experience and hands-on exploration of their interests, which is guided by an adult.
The approach emphasises the importance of the people and environment that surround a child by focusing on attuned and attentive caregivers, alongside nature as ‘the third’ teacher.
It was founded by the late Loris Malaguzzi, a teacher who emphasised the importance of child-directed learning, creativity and social interaction, after the Second World War.
Per The Voice Of Early Childhood, Malaguzzi “advocated for a learning environment that respects and nurtures [children’s] natural curiosity and interests”.
Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
The Princess taking part in an immersive clay atelier workshop.
Malaguzzi believed that a child has 100 languages to express themselves. His 100 languages poem – which the Princess will learn about as part of her trip – centres around children possessing infinite ways to express, explore, and connect their thoughts, feelings and creativity.
This might be through reading and writing, or it could be through sculpting, painting, drawing, dancing, singing, cooking, gardening, etc.
One study suggested that people who were taught this approach in the early years had “significantly” improved outcomes related to employment, socio-emotional skills, high school graduation, election participation, and obesity, compared to those who didn’t receive formal early years care.
However, comparisons with people who attended alternative forms of childcare didn’t show any “strong patterns of positive and significant effects”.
Why is Princess Catherine interested in this approach?
She’s speaking to educators and practitioners about the key concepts of the Reggio Emilia approach, and how it supports children’s social and emotional development. She’ll also be seeing the early years philosophy in action.
In 2023, she launched an awareness raising campaign, called Shaping Us, to increase public understanding of the importance of the first five years of a child’s life. Its aim is to make early childhood development “one of the most strategically important topics of our time”.
Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace
Her Royal Highness greeting members of the community in Reggio Emilia.
The campaign is spearheaded by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which found one in three (36%) adults report knowing just a little or nothing about how children develop in their early childhood. Yet almost three-quarters (70%) of people believe early childhood should be a greater priority for society.
A spokesperson for The Princess told HuffPost UK: “The Princess has been very much looking forward to visiting Italy and seeing first-hand how the Reggio Emilia approach creates environments where nature and loving human relationships come together to support children’s development.
“As the Centre for Early Childhood continues to build its work internationally, this visit is an opportunity to connect the Shaping Us Framework with leading global approaches, and to highlight a shared understanding, that it is in these early years, through the natural world and the warmth of human connection, that we begin to lay the foundations for a resilient and healthy future.”