NS_PSG_ZA_012419

22ndCenturyMedia.com private school guide
22nd century media | January 24, 2019 | 17
Winnetka Public School Nursery use
play-based approach for success
Winnetka Public School Nursery
has such a strong commitment
to its play-based Reggio
Emilia approach that over the
last several years, eight WPSN
teachers have travelled to the
actual town of Reggio Emilia,
Italy to engage in educational
conferences about the learning
style. Their travels and research
have helped to structure WPSN
as one of the preeminent Reggioinspired
schools in Chicagoland.
Established in 1926 and serving
children ages 16 months
through junior kindergarten,
WPSN has been implementing
the Reggio style for almost 30
years. The approach came about
in post-World War II Italy with
the recognition that in order
to build a different future, the
community had to start by acknowledging
the rights of children.
Today in a Reggio-inspired
classroom, teachers observe
children’s interests and playing
styles and base their classroom
goals off of that. Children’s relationships
with each other and
their teachers are integral to their
learning, and classrooms are set
up to promote social interaction.
To more fully embrace this
style of learning, the teachers
who have so far chosen to attend
the conference participate
in long days filled with intense,
thought-provoking lectures and
school visits.
Between the four teachers who
attended in Spring 2017, they
took 214 pages of notes and attended
58 lecture hours.
Each teacher has taken away
unique aspects of the approach
to incorporate at WPSN, but all
teachers acknowledged what a
valuable experience the conference
is and that they are grateful
for the reminder of how knowledgeable
children are.
WPSN teacher Carolyn Wing
remarked that upon her return,
“The trip most affected my documentation
process: how I observe,
record and process what
I see in the classroom. It helped
me greatly in bringing it to a
higher level and aided me in seeing
the threads that connect the
children’s learning throughout
the year.” Ms. Wing further noted
that the conference allowed her
to look at the classroom space
in a less rigid way, instead opting
for more fluid arrangement
in which materials and explorations
are prepared for the flow of
ideas throughout the room.
Another WPSN teacher, Connie
Pickrell, added that as a result
of the conference “I notice I ask
more open-ended questions, and
when I am asked questions, I respond
with ‘what do you think?’
I engage one-on-one with the
children more often. In fact, the
majority of the classroom time,
I like to get on the floor with the
children and find out what they
are creating and why.” Further
Reggio-inspired decisions Pickrell
has observed other teachers
and herself incorporating are the
use of natural materials and colors
in activities and art.
With the WPSN Board’s support
of teachers’ persisting efforts
to learn more about different
approaches and incorporate
best practices for the children,
teachers will continue to travel
to Reggio Emilia to seek inspiration
in creating joyful, meaningful
spaces where the pre-schoolers
can explore the world and
their relationships with others.
Submitted by Winnetka Public
School Nursery, 1155 Oak St., Winnetka,
IL 60093, (847) 446-5153,
winnetkapublicschoolnursery.org