What Reggio-Inspired Preschools Do Well

• Integrated Art education. Myriad forms of artistic expression are a fundamental part of Reggio-Inspired preschools, and some preschools have an art specialist and dedicated art space, similar to the atelierista and atelier in the Italian schools. Art is incorporated into every project.
• Building critical thinking skills; learning how to learn. Children gain experience asking questions and hunting for answers. They learn to trust themselves, as their curiosity is met with enthusiasm.
• Parental and community involvement. Reggio-Inspired preschools are very good at communicating with families and offering workshops, classes, and volunteer opportunities.

Critiques

• Because the Reggio preschools are so different from other preschools, it takes a lot of work to educate teachers and families about the philosophy behind the school, and some preschools do this more successfully than others. This is not to say that there aren't excellent Reggio-Inspired preschools out there; there are. Don't be afraid to ask for a tour, ask lots of questions, and go with your instincts.
• Some parents are simply not comfortable with such an open-ended learning environment. A Reggio-Inspired preschool looks and operates much differently from other preschools, with the curriculum driven by the children instead of being teacher-directed, and some families are not comfortable with this.