Two Different Cultures, Two Similar Teaching Approaches

Two Different Cultures, Two Similar Teaching Approaches

Reggio Emilia and High Scope are two different teaching approaches from two different parts of the world. Reggio Emilia is named after the Italian community in which it was founded and is now being practiced all over the world. “The basic premise of the Reggio Emilia approach is a shared and deep belief in the strength of children’s potential for learning.” (Obrochta, 1998, Para. 2). The Reggio Emilia approach is very project oriented, and usually the students start the projects, then the teacher builds off the student’s ideas and helps evolve the project. Reggio Emilia believes that the children’s learning is like a journey and the teachers are there to guide the children through the journey. The High Scope teaching method was founded in the United States, and that is where it is mostly used along with other teaching methods. The High Scope approach “is a set of guiding principles and practices that adults follow as they work with and care for infants and toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary and adolescent students.” (NCCIC Websites). The High Scope teaching method believes that children learn better when they are active in the learning process instead of direct teaching and sequenced exercises. They also believe that it is important for the teachers to be able to adapt to everything around them (NCCIC Websites). The two teaching approaches come from two different cultures and have many differences and similarities. This essay will discuss the differences and similarities between the Reggio Emilia teaching approach of Italy and the High Scope teaching approach of the United States.
There are many similarities between the Reggio Emilia teaching approach and the High Scope teaching approach; “the most obvious characteristic of all the curricula is that the child is described as an active child who initiates communication and who is interested in the surrounding would.” (Samuelsson, Sheridan, & Williams, 2006, P.14). In the Reggio Emilia teaching...

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