The Reggio Emilia Approach Hailed by Newsweek magazine (1991) as an international model for preschools, the Reggio Emilia approach has captured the attention of early childhood educators. In 1999, current Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley visited Reggio Emilia schools to better understand its benefits (Dunne, 2000). Its principles are, however, only understood by a few and have limited follow-up with around 1,200 Reggio-inspired preschools in operation, most of them private (Sipprelle, 2009), making the innovative ideas offered by this approach accessible to only a few. Why have so few schools imitated those that were so successful in Reggio Emilia, Italy? Is Reggio Emilia applicable in the American classroom? A look at the history, theory, practices, and applications of this approach reveals both the benefits and challenges of adapting it to the current education system in the United States. From its beginnings, the Reggio approach has placed high priority on children. After the devastation of World War II, the Italian government gave each town a grant which they used in whatever way they saw fit to restore the sense of community that had disappeared during the war. While many cities have used this money to create communal public spaces, the city of Reggio Emilia decided to use this money to build a school for young children, aged 0 to 6, to invest in the future of the entire community. Led by Loris Malaguzzi, known as the father of the Reggio Emilia approach, the school was developed with the mindset that children were active and capable contributors to society. Philosophy has been shaped by a number of constructivist theories, notably those of Vygotsky and Piaget. The idea of ​​community collaboration... middle of paper ...... complemented by words such as standards and performance. Theory and best practices were established by academics and should be implemented by teachers, requiring them to meet a certain standard. Teachers themselves are not always trusted to create an appropriate curriculum in response to children's needs and must do so for the Reggio approach to be fully successful. Works Cited Sisson, Jamie Huff. “Making Sense of Competing Conceptions of the Teacher as Professional.” Journal of Research in Childhood Education 23.3 (2009): 351+. Academic OneFile. Internet. November 16, 2011. Abramson, S., Ankenman, K., & Robinson, R. (1995). Project work with diverse students: adaptation of the program based on the Reggio Emilia approach. Childhood Education, 71(4), 197+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA16864617&v=2.1&u=lom_accessmich&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w