Sightlines Initiative

promoting creative and reflective practice in early childhood education

Diary Library

This Blog (or Diary) section has a broad mix of articles, reflections, comments, position pieces, as well as requests and information from Network members. It is becoming quite a comprehensive library. You can browse using the categories and search modules to the left.

Do contact us with your suggestions for new articles - and we really appreciate comments and other feedback.
Robin Duckett
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Communication and relationships under our feet ...

Here 's a presentation about natural communications and relationships happening right under our feet. 

Definitely something vital for us all to think about and re-value in how we work and live.

Thanks to Francesca Manfredi, atelierista at Loris Malaguzzi International Centre Preschool & Primary School, Reggio Emilia, for originally noticing and posting this

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'Democracy has to be lived' - the first days of Reggio's preschools

We've added to our Reggio Preschools introduction page a video interview of Professor Carla Rinaldi recounting the first days of the emergence of Reggio's preschools, after the destruction of WWII: " democracy cannot be  taught but has to be lived - learned through real processes of democracy, not just about voting … but about the practice of reciprocity and mutual respect … in the processes of participating in life."

In these days, across the world, these messages are surely extremely pertinent.

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The Wonder of Learning, in Boston USA

​Reggio's exhibit 'The Wonder of Learning' is currently  in Boston, and our colleague there has been telling us how inspirational it is being for parents, teachers and policymakers. "Young teachers especially," Angela Ferrario tells us are very excited - they are seeing for the first time a new vision for education, one which they'd not met before - the exhibit is acting like a light switch in to a whole new future of possibility for them."

We've known from our past experience how transformational this exhibit can be - here is an exellent video of Boston educators and policymakers reflecting on their thinking, their aspirations for education in Boston, and the vision of Reggio and the exhibit.

The art of research already exists in the hands of children acutely sensitive to the pleasure of surprise. The wonder of learning, of knowing, of understanding is one of the first, fundamental sensations each human being expects from experiences faced alone or with others. Loris Malaguzzi

You can read more about Boston's hosting of the exhibit here

The exhibit is a powerful catalyst - it's predecessor provoked powerful changes in the UK in the 2000s , and in Toronto, Canada in 2016, it was instrumental in inspiring and transforming Ontario's public policy.

You can read some more, from the Canadian experience here.






We are extremely keen to host the exhibit here in the UK - The injection of energy is again neededit is a major piece of work and we are looking for a keen main sponsor to start things off - do you know potentially interested parties? Tell us, tell them! 

Here is an introductory flyer  to download: 

Enter your text here ...

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