This article, "Preschool Lessons" by Slate Magazine, explains to a tee exactly why I love Reggio Emilia-based schools, especially for preschool. A series of studies finds that kids learn early exactly what a teacher is for: to show them the "right" answer. She's the teacher, they reason. If there was more to learn from this activity, she would have shown us. In direct teaching activities, kids lose their natural and innate curiosity and imagination, leaving them handicapped in finding creative problem-solving solutions.
Kids, especially before they start school, need to first learn how to be curious and how to discover information. We need to encourage them to explore and create solutions and invent new purposes. What better way to do this than through play-based activities and student-driven curriculum?
