Is Reggio Emilia, Italy Truly Special?

There are several educational approaches that have been created in Europe; such as the Waldorf Approach, the Montessori Method, and the Reggio Emilia Approach. There are several differences between these methods based on teachers’ roles, children’s role, classroom environment, materials used in the classroom, as well as the assessment and evaluation methods. These differences have been discussed by many researchers and looked on the more effective methods for child development. However, the Reggio Emilia approach is a unique educational method for young children and their academic careers that has an even more unique history. This article explores how and why the Reggio Emilia Approach started in Italy. It then explores the Winter Institute Conference held in Reggio Emilia, Italy in 2013 through the qualitative method of participant observations. The researchers describe visits to schools that use the Reggio Emilia Approach in Italy. These real world experiences should help educators to better understand the Reggio Emilia Approach. The researchers’ thoughts on the Reggio Emilia Approach and how it could be incorporated into the United States and Turkey conclude the article