Documentation prepared by educators, artists, and sometimes by parents, is more than a record of what has been done and said. It is a way of making everyone's thinking visible. These records can include photos, videotape, audiotape, transcribed conversations, children's art work, and adults' interpretations, provocations, and theories. It is displayed, revisited, and reflected upon by children and adults on an ongoing basis. This keeps the emotional engagement alive and promotes metacognition as both children and adults think about their own questions, theories, and certainties. The Reggio approach has been described as a pedagogy of listening. Documentation helps educators to listen in order to teach. It allows us the privilege of witnessing the construction of knowledge. The following examples of documentation are invitations to think with us about a view of learning and teaching, and to celebrate the power of thoughtful collaboration between children and adults. Research in Action: Developing Theories Download Cathedral Cathedral Inception Cathedral Pews Cathedral Lighting Cathedral Lighting 2 Around a Tiger download Shape of a Song download Composition download Devising a Method for Sharing Meat Pie download Concealing and Revealing with Transparency download Drawing A Crescendo download Pirate Ship Pirate Ship - Pushing Back Empathy for Pirates Shadows download To view these documents you will require "Acrobat Reader". Click on the logo below to download a free copy.

One community's exploration of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education.