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construction of knowledge with documentation, they recognize the potential of learning
how to teach (Rinaldi, 2002). Documentation also makes parents aware of their children’s
experience and maintains their involvement (Bersani & Jarjoura, 2002). It shows how the
children’s work is valued, it creates an archive that traces the history of the school, and
the pleasure in the process of learning experienced by the children and their teachers
(Gandini, 1998).
As a visitor to the schools of Reggio Emilia, it is the documentation of the
children’s learning that reinforces the conviction, for me, that the possibilities for
educators outside this small community in Italy are immeasurable. Having met some of
the children, I can attest that these are not “super-human prodigies.” Given the
opportunities to make learning visible, they are constructors of their own learning, and
the beauty that emerges should be available to all children.
Pedagogical documentation.
One thing that has become clearer with the writing of this dissertation is that the
concept of documentation extends beyond a mere display of learning. Giving voice to
children’s interests and wonder is demonstrated in Reggio Emilia through the process of
pedagogical documentation. These visual, artistic representations often referred to as
“panels” reveal children’s thinking and theory building, and allow for a hundred
languages to be spoken, often without an audible word.
Documentation provides an extraordinary opportunity for parents, as it
gives them the possibility to know not only what their child is doing but
also how and why, to see not only the products but also the processes.
Therefore, parents become aware of the meaning that the child gives to
what he or she does, and the shared meanings that children have with other
children. It is an opportunity for parents to see that part of the life of their
child that is often invisible. (Rinaldi, 1998, p. 122)