The MKA Pre-K program is inspired by the beliefs and practices that Loris Malaguzzi developed in the town of Reggio Emilia, Italy after World War II. This early childhood philosophy has been adopted around the world by educational communities that wish to empower children as individuals with the freedom to imagine and the ability to care for themselves, their communities, and the world. This philosophy was beautifully represented during the Primary School’s Pre-K Reggio Celebrations on Friday, January 17.
In Pre-K Blue, led by Erica Tricarico-DeTrolio and Kathy Sasena, students dived into the study of music. To inform their work, students visited the Upper School choir and band classes to learn about music and feelings, music and art, as well as the craft of writing music. Students learned how to use math to create beats and even made their own instruments to perform, such as drums, trumpets, guitars, maracas, and more. Their showcase opened with a reading of a poem titled “The 100 Languages” by Loris Malaguzzi, included a scavenger hunt where students searched for various music-related items around the classroom, and ended with the crescendo of small voices belting “We Will Rock You” and “Girl on Fire” in their band performances.
In Pre-K Green, led by Caylie Marden and Sarah Vazquez, students studied books. They worked on crafting their own books and author pages, receiving help from their teachers on writing their words. The class took field trips to Watchung Booksellers and the Montclair Public Library to help support their work and learn about buying and borrowing books. During their showcase, students created the Brookside Bookstore and Pre-K Green Library and took on “jobs,” dashing across the room to guide their families in an immersive experience of “buying” books or checking them in and out of their student-run library. Realizing that many students spoke more than one language, families were invited to the classroom to read aloud in those various languages.
The Pre-K program thrives on project-based, student-led learning that encourages hands-on experiences and gives students multiple ways of thinking and exploring. In this way, students have the opportunity to develop academic, social, and emotional skills as they learn at their growing edge, pushing the boundaries of their understanding while being encouraged to wonder and question. As active meaning-makers, project-based learning is designed to reflect students’ curiosity and interests and is integral as they develop as readers, writers, mathematicians, and citizens.