Our Connection to Spirit & Nature
Deep Listening is a key ingredient in Reggio’s ‘role of the teacher’, and is naturally nurtured within the child. Deep Listening involves listening from a deep, receptive, and caring place in oneself, to deeper and often subtler levels of meaning and intention in the other person. It is essential to the development of awareness.
A key aspect of the Reggio Emilia approach is the emphasis on nature: the outdoor environment is just as important and influential as the classroom. Elements of nature are brought into the classrooms and Ateliers – from feathers and interesting rocks to branches hung from the ceiling. An effort is also made to go out into nature every day, regardless of the weather (exemptions for extreme weather are obviously made, but a little cold or a little precipitation does not keep these guys inside!)
The Yurt Project
The desire to connect to place is a part of what makes nature preschool unique in modern education. The more we learn about the place we are in:
- the more we realize how much there is to know,
- the smaller we understand ourselves to be, and
- the more we value our connection to the place and to each other.
- We can create a school for young children using art, nature and a connection to community for children ages 3 years through 3rd grade. Providing a sanctuary for animals to become part of the Kaleidoscope family. Observing and caring for an animal instills a sense of responsibility and respect for life.
