There is no set curriculum in a Reggio-Inspired preschool. Rather, the curriculum is open to all possibilities, with topics for exploration based on the interests of the class. This is sometimes referred to as Emergent Curriculum, the Project Approach, or Inquiry Based Learning. Projects can last anywhere from a day to a year, and may end up somewhere completely different from where they began (for instance a project beginning with flowers may eventually turn into a study of stores and commerce by way of a flower shop).
Teachers carefully observe the children and ask questions to determine the direction the class will take. Communication is vital - teachers need to share their observations with one another and with parents, to keep everyone abreast of the constantly shifting curriculum.
No matter what the project, many modes of expression will be used: painting, drawing, storytelling, 3D sculpture, dramatic play, music, poetry, writing, map making, and more can all be used to express what the children are learning. These are what founder Loris Malaguzzi described as The Hundred Languages of Children.
The arts are vital to the schools in Reggio Emilia, and art plays a large role in most Reggio-Inspired preschools as well. In Reggio Emilia, each municipal preschool has an atelier as well as an atelierista - a teacher trained in the visual arts - to help the children and teachers realise their ideas. Art techniques are taught, and children are encouraged to talk about their own and other's work objectively. More collaborative artwork is done than in a typical preschool: groups of children often work together on a single mural and are encouraged to revise not only their own work, but their friends work as well.