Art and Creativity in Reggio Emilia: Exploring the Role and Potential of Ateliers in Early Childhood Education. Vea Vecchi, $49.95

This book explores the contribution of and art and creativity to early education, and examines the role of the atelier (an arts workshop in a school) and atelierista (an educator with an arts background) in the pioneering pre-schools of Reggio Emilia. It does so through the unique experience of Vea Vecchi, one of the first atelieristas to be appointed in Reggio Emilia in 1970. The book provides a unique insider perspective on the pedagogical work of this extraordinary local project, which continues to be a source of inspiration to early childhood practitioners and policy makers worldwide.

An Encounter with Reggio Emilia: Children's Early Learning Made Visible. Linda Kinney & Pat Wharton, $47.50

This unique, accessible and inspiring book is based upon a documentary approach successfully implemented by Stirling Council in Scotland, whose pre-school educators experienced dramatic improvements in their understandings about young children, how they learn and the potential unleashed in successfully engaging families in the learning process. AN ENCOUNTER WITH REGGIO EMILIA shows educators innovative ways to record and comment on children's learning through photos, wall displays, videos and a variety of different media.

Authentic Childhood: Experiencing Reggio Emilia in the Classroom, 3rd Edition. Susan Fraser, $61.95

AUTHENTIC CHILDHOOD explores the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. Based on constructionist learning, this text is ideal for students and teachers of all experience levels. AUTHENTIC CHILDHOOD includes inspiring stories of teachers who are transforming early childhood education and teacher preparation through the use of the Reggio Emilia philosophy.

The Hundred Languages of Children: the Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation, 3rd Edition. Edited by Carolyn Edwards, Lella Gandini & George Forman, $38.95

Reggio Emilia is located in a fertile agricultural region of Italy. Famous for its city-run early childhood program, Reggio Emilia is recognized and acclaimed as having one of the best systems of early education in the world.

Educators in Reggio Emilia use a distinctive innovative approach that supports children's well-being and fosters their intellectual development through a systematic focus on symbolic representation. From birth through age six, young children are encouraged to explore their environment and express their understanding through many modes of expression or "languages," including verbal communication, movement, drawing, painting, sculpture, shadow play, collage, and music.

This book describes how the world-renowned preschool services and accompanying practical strategies for children under six in Reggio Emilia have evolved in response to the community's demographic and political transformations, and to generational changes in both the educators and the parents of the children. The authors provide the reader with a comprehensive introduction to the Reggio Emilia experience, and address three of the most important central themes of the work in Reggio in detail: teaching and learning through relationships; the hundred languages of children, and how this concept has evolved; and integrating documentation into the process of observing, reflecting, and communicating.

In the Spirit of the Studio: Learning from the Atelier of Reggio Emilia. Lella Gandini, Lynn Hill, Louise Cadwell, & Charles Schwall. $33.95

As the authors state in their opening chapter, “prepare to be amazed.” This beautiful book describes the revolution that the Reggio Emilia Atelier (art studio) brought to the education of young children in Italy, and follows that revolution across the ocean to North America. It explores how the experiences of children interacting with rich materials in the atelier affect an entire school’s approach to the construction and expression of thought and learning.

The Language of Art: Inquiry-Based Studio Practices in Early Childhood Settings. Ann Pelo, $34.95

Incorporate inquiry-based practices into your early childhood classroom or family child care home. Inspired by an approach to teaching and learning born in Reggio Emilia, Italy, THE LANGUAGE OF ART emphasizes investigation anchored by drawing, painting, and other art activities. It provides:

• advice on setting up a studio space for art and inquiry
• 15 studio explorations designed to give children a basic fluency in art
• suggestions for documenting children's developing fluency with art media and its use in inquiry
• guidelines for using children's newfound fluency as a tool for investigation

Next Steps Toward Teaching the Reggio Way: Accepting the Challenge to Change. Joanne Hendrick, Editor, $52.85

More than a presentation of the Reggio Emilia philosophy, yet not a 'how to do it' volume, this new text is a progress report of the steps American and Canadian teachers have taken in the last six years toward teaching the Reggio Emilia way. Comprising chapters by the leading advocates of the Reggio Emilia approach, it examines how real teachers in real classrooms are applying the principles of Reggio Emilia on an everyday basis. By combining discussion of Reggio Emilia concepts with examples of their application in American schools, it explores this emergent curriculum and helps future teachers see how to advocate for it in their own school or program.

Possible Schools: the Reggio Approach to Urban Education. Ann Lewin-Benham, Foreword by Howard Gardner. $26.95

POSSIBLE SCHOOLS tells the compelling story of the Model Early Learning Center (MELC) in Washington, D.C. — the only school in a U.S. urban area to successfully implement the principles of the Municipal Preschools of Reggio Emilia. The author describes the origin of this school, which served impoverished urban families, and traces its evolution from a chaotic inception to its ability to apply Reggio practices.

Seen & Heard: Children's Rights in Early Childhood Education. Ellen Lynn Hall & Jennifer Kofkin Rudkin, $29.95

Using examples from a Reggio-inspired school with children from ages 6 weeks to 6 years, the authors emphasize the importance of children's rights and our responsibility as adults to hear their voices. SEEN & HEARD summarizes research and theory pertaining to young children's rights, and offers strategies educators can use to ensure the inclusion of children's perspectives in everyday decisions. Real-life classroom vignettes illustrate how young children perceive the idea of rights through observation and discussion.

Twelve Best Practices for Early Childhood Education: Integrating Reggio and Other Inspired Resources. Ann Lewin-Benham, $31.95

Author Ann Lewin-Benham draws on her intimate knowledge and experience with the Reggio Approach to present 12 "best practices" inspired not only by Reggio, but also by play-based and Montessori approaches to early childhood education. These practices are demonstrated, one per chapter, with scenarios from classrooms, dialogues of children and teachers, and work samples showing the outcome of using each practice. Used together, the 12 best practices offer a new framework for early education.

Written in an accessible style, this book offers the foundations teachers need to practice the Reggio Approach in their own settings.

Understanding the Reggio Approach: Early Years Education in Practice, 2nd Edition. Linda Thornton & Pat Brunton, $40.95

UNDERSTANDING THE REGGIO APPROACH is a great source of information for those wishing to extend and consolidate their understanding of the Reggio approach to early childhood practice.

The Unscripted Classroom: Emergent Curriculum in Action. Susan Stacey, $34.95

Emergent curriculum encourages you to use creativity and flexibility as you respond to classroom challenges and children's interests. Filled with case studies and stories from toddler and preschool teachers about their experiences responding to events in their own classrooms, THE UNSCRIPTED CLASSROOM provides inspiration to step out of your usual scripts and try something new. A review of the emergent curriculum philosophy and an examination of the many ways creativity in teaching benefits children are included.