Nurturing Knowledge School operates year round Reggio Emilia-inspired programs, from July to June. Our approach shares the philosophy of early learning that emerged from the pioneering collective work of educators in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Inspired by this community-oriented approach, our curriculum is child-centered and inquiry-based. Interactions between teachers and students are responsive to the developing interests of each child, which defines our emergent curriculum. As a learning tool for teachers, students, and parents alike, daily documentation of classroom activities, projects and observations is ongoing throughout the year.

Child-Centered

Because we capitalize on the children’s interests and empower them to take an active role, we find children are emotionally invested in their own learning, are willing to explore in-depth, and are able to reach deeper levels of understanding. For children, a child-centered curriculum just feels like fun.

Inquiry-Based Project Approach

Children and teachers explore in-depth the interests and ideas generated by the children. Teachers provide materials, help children identify their hypotheses, and then work in collaboration with the children to pursue a course of study. Teachers add provocations and challenges that encourage the children to take their learning to deeper and deeper levels.

Emergent Curriculum

Our child-centered curriculum is actualized through an emergent curriculum model. Children co-create their learning objectives and goals together with teachers, who work as researchers alongside the children. They carefully listen to the interests of the children, assisting each child in defining their questions as a place to begin investigations and express their knowledge.

Documented Learning

Documenting children’s learning is a critical part of our curriculum process. Throughout the day at Nurturing Knowledge School, teachers are documenting children’s words through dictation and children’s actions through photographs. Teachers then compile this information into a child’s portfolio, documenting achievements and milestones in each child’s development.