Diary

Typing up notes from a 2019 visit, it occurred to me that it could be interesting to share. Perhaps it will only work for those who in any case can picture the life of a preschool in Reggio, I don't know ... (there is a rather informative minute's video on our page 'Introductory Articles on Reggio Emilia's Preschools' which may help in filling out a picture.) ... anyway here it is....

 Spring 20019 visit to Otto Marzo Preschool

8.30 – 9a.m.

This is the preschool with the circular layout, by the canal; rich in its habitation and embedded in the close locality: quiet streets, dads and children walking or biking in. The spring 'snow' – blossom/seeds – is drifting around.

…a boy, 5, scoots through the internal piazza on his scooter (!) Other children meet, and two hold the door for a while meeting each other, possibly waiting for friends. Children bounce and skip around, meeting each other; there's a hum of easy voices and conversations of children and adults.

Projects documented in the entrance area show how they are joyfully developing their environment and relationships in it – the fence sculpture with 'secret ways' through to the canal path; relationships with the city e.g. project for everyone to travel by bike not car.

One of our network member families, a bilingual family in East London, is looking for a part-time, Italian-speaking nanny for their daughter, with interest in The Reggio Approach, and ideally experience in working in dialogue with Reggio's principles.

Ideally the person would start in January 2020, when their daughter is about 8 months old, but the family can be flexible. They are looking for about 24 hours a week, ideally spread over three days, but again they can work around the nanny's schedule.

If you know of anyone who may be interested, please feel free to contact Sally Davies, or put them in touch with her via her email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Astro-physicist Jen Gupta and comedian Alice Fraser travel the parallel worlds of science and sci-fi.

 Summer listening: here is  a fascinating - and important - discussion of what is being discovered about how plants communicate. It's a must for all of us who are keen to understand more about the diversity and interwoven-ness of communication. We know various preschools keen to better undertand symbiosis in the plant world as well as in the human one - this is a valuable contribution, and a lively discussion to listen to this summer.

Talking Plants [click the link to listen]

In this episode, Jen and Alice investigate the science behind Sue Burke's book, Semiosis, about a mysterious breed of intelligent plants. They talk to Sue about how watching her houseplants formed the inspiration for the book. Then they ask the linguist Dr Hannah Little if we could ever learn the language of something that has a completely different understanding of what communication means. Finally, Professor Lilach Hadany explains how a radical new study might show plants are listening to each other - and maybe even to us.

This programme builds on the one which we listened t last year, on the subject - If you haven't heard it you can access it via our blog here:

Communication and relationships under our feet ...