Loris Malaguzzi

Malaguzzi was born and raised in Italy in 1920. It was

during the World War II when his father in uenced him in
earning a degree in Education. He nished his Pedagogy
and Psychology degrees in University of Urbino and Italian
National Research Center in Rome. While he was still
studying, he taught elementary and middle school in a small
town called Reggio Emilia, which later became the place
where his greatest contribution in education began.

Philosophy
Loris Malaguzzi believed that children
learn by being active participants and
that they are powerful individuals with the
ability to construct their own knowledge.
In addition, he believed that play is an
important part of learning and early
development.
Influences
Some theorists had in uenced Loris
Malaguzzi in creating his own philosophy
of education such as: John Dewey, Erik
Erikson, Jean Piaget, and Lev Vygotsky.
Although he did not agree in the entirety
of their principles, he adapted the
common points and became the pillars of
his own educational approach.

Contribution to Education
Creating and developing Reggio Emilia, an emergent child-centered educational
philosophy, was Malaguzzi’s greatest contribution in education. The name of his approach
was derived from a small town in Italy called Reggio Emilia where he discovered and
formulated his curriculum. It all started when a group of women decided to build a school
after the war to ensure that the next generation of children will not be tolerant to injustice and
inequality. The school became a labor of love of the townspeople as the parents contributed
money to keep the school running. The good relationship among the parents and the
teachers helped develop Reggio Emilia. A Reggio Emilia classroom depicts a ‘homey’
classroom environment as it uses home elements (e.g., curtains, furniture, plants, tablecloths,
etc.,) that create a positive and comfortable environment for the students. They also use
natural objects (e.g., stones, pebbles, leaves, etc.) as their materials that help encourage the
students imagining and creating tons of possible stories. Because of its nurturing classroom
environment, Reggio Emilia became famous and was duplicated all over the world and can
be seen in various schools even up to this day.

References
Who is Loris Malaguzzi. (2017, July 5). The Compass School. https: //
www.thecompassschool.com/blog/who-is-loris-malaguzzi/
Loose Parts Reggio Emilia Style. (2017, July 18). The Compass School. https://
www.thecompassschool.com/blog/loose-parts/
Stoudt, A. (n.d.). The Reggio Emilia Approach | Scholastic. Scholastic. Retrieved
January 3, 2021, from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/
reggio-emilia-approach/
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