The Respective Philosophies
Reggio Emelio and Montessori are closely related but distinct in nature including from the perspective of their respective philosophies. The Reggio Emelia philosophy is based on giving the child almost unfettered control over the learning process (Stephens, 2018). The child is able to pick what to learn and how to learn it. Further, the learning should be by experience as opposed to instruction. For example, the child should learn through touch, movement, listening, and observation. Finally, the probabilities of learning modes and languages are near infinite based on children relating to learning materials as well as other children. Conversely, Montessori’s philosophy defines a mode of instructions that is to some extent similar to Reggio Emelio’s lack of instruction. The philosophy includes placing children of different ages together and having them learn together (Isaacs, 2013). The learning process includes large interrupted learning blocks with the child allowed to move around the class and decide the kind of learning materials to use for study. The instructions process is constructionist in nature where the lesson is laid out in the material then the child is allowed to discover it.
Creativity in the Two Philosophies
My idea of creativity from a perspective of education is based on the belief that there is a very thin line between wisdom and follies. With the right attitude, what seems to be very silly activities can also become a worthy learning experience. Therefore, activities in learning should only be guided on the basis of safety but unfettered when it comes to children exploring their respective follies. The two philosophies defined above both adhere to the instant definition of creativity. Children are full of follies hence the traditional approaches to learning where creativity is banned so that learning can be formal and organized. However, the true learning actually happens when the fetters are removed as happens in Reggio Emilia and to some extent in Montessori. In the former, the child is allowed all the leeway possible which provides freedom for creativity and, by extension, learning. In Montessori, although there is a bit of control, the child is still allowed to be creative with the materials that have been provided, hence able to learn.
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The Role of Teachers
The respective roles of teachers in the two approaches differ exponentially with the teacher being a co-star in Reggio Emilia and the movie director under Montessori. In Reggio Emelio, the teacher becomes a co-learner with the student who joins in the learning experience alongside the child. It is as if the teacher and the pupil are both ignorant and learning things together (Stephens, 2018). For example, the teacher will ask questions that will enable a child make discoveries instead of the teacher giving instruction. Under Montessori, however, the teacher is in control but very passively. For a start, the teacher will prepare the lesson then lay it out in the form of learning materials spread out all over the place (Isaacs, 2013). The teacher will then become an observer, and follow the child around during the learning process.
The Role of the Parents and Community
The parents and community play the role of supporter and advocate in Reggio Emelio while in Montessori, they play the role of co-instructors. All that the parents and community need to do under Reggio Emelio is to be supportive of the learning through creative process of the child (Stephens, 2018). They should allow, endure, and condone the follies of the child to support the learning process. Under Montessori, the community and parents should continue the learning process when the child is not at school by creating exercises that encourage learning at home and in the community (Isaacs, 2013).
Conclusion
My approach to the teaching of little children can be considered as a combination of the two approaches above. I strongly believe in creativity but since children’s creativity is not fully developed, I believe in assisting them along in the process of creating learning. Just as in Montessori, I will lay down the learning materials that will elicit creative learning. However, instead of merely following the child and observing, I will adhere to the Reggio Emelio approach of learning alongside the child, through inter alia well-calibrated questions.
References
Isaacs, B. (2013). Understanding the Montessori Approach: Early Years Education in Practice . New York: Routledge
Stephens, J. (2018). Student transition into kindergarten: A case study of the Reggio Emilia approach. Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 1735. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/1735
