Final Version May 5 07

Chapter Six:
Discussion
If nature has commanded that of all the animals, infancy
shall last longest in human beings—it is because nature
knows how many rivers there are to cross and paths to
retrace. Nature provides time for mistakes to be corrected
(by both children and adults), for prejudices to be
overcome, and for children to catch their breath and restore
their image of themselves, peers, parents, teachers, and the
world.
(Malaguzzi, 1998, p. 80)
Introduction
Loris Malaguzzi suggested that children have a right to a new restored image that
elevates their position to one of collaborator, communicator, and co-constructer with the
adults in their lives. For early childhood educators, the same parallel exists vis-à-vis their
relationship to other educators. Early childhood educators are also in extreme need of a
restored image that elevates their position to one of collaborator, communicator, and coconstructer
with educators from all other levels. For the over thirty years that the field of
early childhood education has been recognized as a distinct sector of education, those
connected to it have been suffering from an image that impedes growth and development.
If the image held of early childhood educators is of glorified babysitters, the rights of
children are compromised. A new image for both children and their teachers should
ascend in tandem. As the rivers are crossed and paths retraced, it is time to
reconceptualize how we view the youngest learners and the teachers charged with their
care and education.
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