Twelve best practices for early childhood education: integrating Reggio and other inspired approaches

Introduction : Changing practices ; The book's content ; Breaching the Reggio/U.S. divide

1. When belief drives practice : Cultural context of Reggio Emilia ; Reggio's unique beliefs and features ; Correlations: best practices and the Reggio approach ; The structure supporting Reggio practices ; t Conclusion: Using Reggio and other best practices

2. Developing self-regulation : Becoming self-regulated ; The Reggio approach ; Montessori's "normalizing" method ; A scripted kindergarten ; Scheduled early education ; The Model Early Learning Center's techniques ; Conclusion: Self-regulation, the basis for learning

3. Using documentation to gain parents' trust : What is documentation? ; Documentation as a magnet for parents ; A project emerges ; Robust parent involvement ; Panels as planning for curriculum ; Conclusion: Documentation, a system for listening

4. An open flow day : Essential features of an open flow day ; How open flow looks ; Moving toward open flow ; Conclusion: Differently organized days

5. The environment is the curriculum : When design fails to support children ; Exemplary features of Reggio classrooms ; Thinking about design ; Developing an aesthetic sense ; Designing or redesigning a classroom ; Conclusion: A new take on environment

6. The art of meaning-full conversation : Defining conversation ; Holding focused conversations ; Conversation punctuates a project ; Techniques in the conversation tool kit ; The impact of focused conversation ; Conclusion: Conversing toward literacy

7. Intentional teaching : What is intention? ; Intention in Reggio teachers ; Conclusion: The teacher's roles in action

8. Materials and human development : The "languages" of materials ; Materials and brain development ; "Framing" and the brain's attention systems ; Triggering visualization and imagination ; Conclusion: The romance of materials

9. Materials and relationships : Why materials matter ; Finding good materials ; Asking families to help ; Materials and cognition ; Conclusion: Finding relationships

10. Documentation : Walls as curriculum ; Documentation of an experience ; Walls that encourage mindful activity ; Documentation at work ; Using documentation reflectively ; Conclusion: Walls that intrigue parents

11. Assessing children's progress : Evaluation ; Assessment ; Authentic assessment ; Roadblocks to authentic assessment ; Reconciling authentic assessment and standardized testing ; Effectiveness of authentic assessment ; Conclusion: "Proof" is not attainable

12. Significant project work : An MELC story ; A Reggio story ; The contrast ; Conclusion: Bucking cultural imperatives

13. EXCEL : Understanding the acronym EXCEL ; Putting EXCEL to work ; Using EXCEL to rate yourself ; Conclusion: Best practices and significant work.