Reggio Inspired Emergent Curriculum & Constructivist Practices in Early Childhood Education

Documentation Panels

The Documentation Panels presented here are from numerous sources. They are inspired by the investigations and projects of Reggio inspired educators. Documentation panels are collections of data that when thoughtfully organized provide insights about the conceptual underpinnings of the play and explorations they represent. Through the process of creating these panels teachers are carefully reflecting on the many elements of the play, which allows them to develop ideas for provoking multiple threads for developing the ongoing inquiry of the learners.

Learners can participate in panel making, recording their own learning and development. Teachers and learners collaborate in panel making. You will see a variety of Documentation Panels here that stem from the learners in Jane Broderick’s courses, some reflecting on their own learning and some as reflecting on the explorations they facilitate with young children. Also, there is documentation in this section that is shared by teachers who are committed to help other educators learn about documentation and how powerful it is for facilitating inquiry.

As you view these Documentation Panels consider the ways that materials guide the thinking and learning of adults and children and the ways conversations are shaped through the dynamics of inquiry. Notice the concepts that frame the inquiry and how they came to be in the forefront of the process. Finally, join in the process as a teacher and learner along with the individuals who so thoughtfully created these Panels.

Tamara Cohen

Setup Stone Pattern The first concepts I focused on were texture, shape, and color. The stones were appealing to me because they were smooth, round, and glossy (not sure if this term really falls under color). After I examined the stones, I noted ideas about these concepts more specif
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Paola Addamiano

Setup: The materials for the project are assembled on the work surface. First I tapped all of the tambourines with my fingers. The big tambourine had a low pitch, the small one haad a high pitch and the medium one had a high pitch and the metal discs jingled. Next I hit each tambourin
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Nora Thompson

Exploring with wire, paper, and glue Key: Black writing represents process Violet writing represents the conceptual thinking Blue represents additions based on extending the experience         I chose these materials because I haven’t really worked much with wire a
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Moving

Drawings by Peter A student in a mixed age program in Greenfield, Massachusetts. The image to the left is 4 year-old Peter’s representation of himself on a hill near his new home (right) that he drew next to a hill picturing the house he just moved from. “This is me at my
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