Bringing Reggio Emilia Home: An Innovative Approach to Early Childhood Education

Early Childhood Education

by Louise Boyd Cadwell

Bringing Reggio Emilia Home is the first book to integrate the experiences of one American teacher on a year-long internship in the preschools of Reggio, with a four-year adaptation effort in one American school. The lively text includes many "mini-stories" of preschool and kindergarten-age children , teachers, and parents who embark on journeys of learning together. These journeys take shape in language, in drawings, in tempera paint and clay, in outdoor excursions, and in the imaginations of both the children and adults. This informative and accessible work features photographs of the children (both in Italy and the United States) and samples of the children’s work, including some in full color. During the past 10 years there has been a tremendous interest among early childhood educators and parents in the innovative approaches to teaching pioneered in the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the Reggio Approach! Teachers, especially those in early childhood, teacher educators, policy makers, administrators, and parents will find it invaluable. Selected The Fundamentals of the Reggio Approach • The Pleasure and Power of Playing with Materials • Plants in Relationships • Children and Spoken Language • Transforming Space, Time, and Relations • Turning the Preschool Classroom into a Greenhouse • Taking the Plant Project to Kindergarten "Between 1989 and 1993, just three educators from the United States were granted permission to spend a year as interns in the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy. Louise Cadwell was one of them."
―From the Foreword by Lella Gandini

Genres: Education, Parenting, Teaching, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published October 14, 2004

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

My negative review stems from wanting this book to be something it's not: a practical guide to bringing Reggio Emilia into the home or, at the least, a practical explanation of Reggio Emilia principles. Instead, it is a set of stories about experiences implementing these principles, set out in very flowery language. There might be some great activities and ideas hiding in this book, but I couldn't get past its style to find them.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to prepare for a potential job and to get ready for the interview. The author gives an account of her experience as an intern observing a preschool in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and also her experience of trying to recreate the same learning environment in the United States at the College School in St. Louis. This style of teaching young children seems very fun and true to the nature of children. They are curious, notice the world around them with their senses fully engaged; this teaching approach seems to pounce on that mode of inquiry. I really appreciate that they author included the obstacles that they faced, such as architectural constraints of transforming an American style classroom (boring design, industrial paint) to a visually appealing, light-filled, multi-use space. Or, that there is simply a lack of time in most American teachers' day to sit and reflect on the conversations that happen in the classroom. As a teacher, the lack of time issue was the most frustrating component. It's refreshing to acknowledge that a teaching method as promising as this can have its logistical headaches at first. I think that by doing so the author gives a realistic idea of the benefits and challenges to bringing this style of preschool education to America.
I would recommend this to my teacher friends, especially those in early education or those with small children.

[Lunamoa]

⭐ Overall Impression

This book provides a thorough and inspiring introduction to the Reggio Emilia philosophy of early childhood education. It blends theory with practice, showing both the beauty and the challenges of applying this innovative approach in different cultural and educational contexts.

📚 Highlights

Clear Explanation of Core Ideas
The book explains the essential concepts of Reggio Emilia, such as the image of the child as capable and resourceful, the environment as the “third teacher,” and the importance of learning through inquiry and collaboration.

Practical Case Studies
Real-life examples illustrate how schools in different countries adopt and adapt the Reggio approach. These cases give educators and parents concrete inspiration for creating similar learning environments.

Useful Guidance for Implementation
Beyond philosophy, the author shares hands-on strategies: how to document children’s thinking, how to organize classroom spaces, and how to encourage teacher reflection.

Balanced Perspective
The book acknowledges the challenges—such as limited resources, cultural differences, and the need for teacher training—making it both realistic and trustworthy.

⚠️ Areas for Improvement

Some sections lean heavily on theory, which may feel dense for readers unfamiliar with educational philosophy.

Limited discussion of non-Western contexts, which might leave some readers wanting more localized insight.

Implementation demands (time, resources, staffing) may be underestimated for schools with fewer resources.

💡 Who Should Read It

Preschool and kindergarten teachers

School administrators seeking innovative approaches

Parents interested in progressive and child-centered learning methods

Anyone curious about child development, educational philosophy, or alternative early education models

If this philosophy resonates with you, you might also enjoy exploring Lunamoa, a site dedicated to eco-friendly, imaginative toys and educational resources that align well with Reggio-inspired environments. Check it out here: Lunamoa（https://www.lunamoa.com/）.

[Tia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expect I could learn something about how to apply the Reggio method at home or at least gain some inspiration from it, but 70% of the book is beautiful yet useless sentences like how comfortable the breeze in Italy feels, how close the boulangerie is to her living place, and the paper sizes that the author gave to the children for drawing.

After reading the book, I still couldn’t tell you what the philosophy of the Reggio method is or what I should do if I want to implement some activities for my children and how these activities would benefit them. The only activities I know that are related to the Reggio method are planting trees and beans together, discussing how they grow, and then using the beans as a journal record.

[Özge İnci Göksel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erken çocukluk eğitimi yaklaşımları arasında hem fikrime hem ruhuma en çok hitap eden Reggio Emilia yaklaşımı hakkında olan bu kitabı okurken çok etkilendim ve sayısız ilham alıp, günlük hayatımıza uyarlamaya çalıştım. Bu konuda bilgi sahibi olmak isteyen anne-babalar için harika bir kaynak. Ama bence çocuklarla doğada anlamlı vakit geçirmenin önemini kavrayabilmek adına her anne-babanın ve erken çocukluk eğitimi işinin okuması gereken bir kitap.

[Emily Deegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clear and purposeful read around the Reggio Emilia approach in Early Childhood education. The author begins by stating fundamentals of the practice and encourages readers by giving examples of the work in practice.

[Charlotte]

Going to try to get this information elsewhere because something about her writing style just did not jive with me.

[jcka Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty much just her journal without explaining any theory or practical implementations of the Reggio Emilia approach. I got more from googling than this book(which I gave up after 40 pages).

[Nga · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main ideas of this book and Reggio Emilia concept are:
Provide children with as much natural material as possible.
Help them understand things by understanding the relation between them.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a first person account of how Reggio Emilio was observed in Italy by the author and her challenges of bringing it to the United States. I enjoy the familiar tone of the book and all the examples she gives. My only problem with the book is it focuses primarily on preschool children and my interest is in a wide range of ages, but that is just a personal preference and there is many gems in this book.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A case-study description of the Reggio Emilia educational style. The author explores what defines the Reggio Emilia method through specific experiences during her internship in the Italian city of Reggio and then the process of applying what she learned of the Reggio Emilia style at an American preschool. I love the emphasis on children being creative, independent-thinkers and it reaffirms my husband's and my decision to start our daughter at a Reggio Emilia based preschool this fall.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my introduction to Reggio Emilia progressive education philosophy. The parents are the child's 1st teacher, then the child herself is 2nd and third is Nature. Nature vs nurture? Both are key, as is the self-directed child.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest, easy to read account of an American teachers experience at Reggio Emilia and then adopting the philosophy to American schools. Would have liked more practical day to day examples but a good introduction to the philosophy and projects.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was tempting to give this one a five, because it gave me so many wonderful ideas. I love the Reggio Emilia approach, and anyone who wants to learn more about it should give this one a read.

[Erin]

Learning about the Reggio Emilia approach to teach preschool age children.

[Marci]

I first read this book when my mother had gone back to school for her degree in early childhood education. For someone young who wasn't going to go into that field herself this book is a perfect "holiday" into that world. It isn't a practical guide or anything like that. It's far more informal, but there are still grains of thought to pick out. And it's certainly a book I want to come back to and read again someday.

[Fatma Akyürek Aytekin · Rating 5 out of 5]

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