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Atelier
A studio space within a learning environment where children can explore materials, express ideas, and think through hands-on, creative work. In Reggio Emilia–inspired education, the atelier is much more than an art room—it is a space of research, relationship, and imagination.
The atelier invites children to work with a wide range of materials—clay, charcoal, wire, fabric, paint, paper, recycled objects—and to engage with them as languages. These materials are not simply used for decoration or craft, but as tools for thinking and communication. Children are encouraged to revisit ideas, test possibilities, and express complex concepts visually, physically, and collaboratively.
Each atelier is guided by an atelierista, an educator with a background in the arts who collaborates with teachers and children in ongoing projects. The atelierista does not direct outcomes, but helps nurture expressive potential, deepen aesthetic awareness, and support long-term inquiry.
In many settings, small mini-ateliers are spread throughout the school—corners of the classroom where materials remain accessible, inviting quiet invention and dialogue between child, material, and idea.
Why It Matters
The atelier affirms that children have many ways of knowing—not just through language or numbers, but through line, color, form, texture, and movement. It values slow thinking, aesthetic exploration, and symbolic representation as essential parts of learning. For educators and families, the atelier reminds us that creativity is not a separate subject—it’s a way of being in the world, of making sense, and of making meaning.
References & Further Reading
- Vecchi, V. Art and Creativity in Reggio Emilia: Exploring the Role and Potential of Ateliers in Early Childhood Education
- Gandini, L., Hill, L., & Cadwell, L. In the Spirit of the Studio: Learning from the Atelier of Reggio Emilia
- Edwards, C., Gandini, L., & Forman, G. The Hundred Languages of Children
- Reggio Children: www.reggiochildren.it
- North American Reggio Emilia Alliance: www.reggioalliance.org
Glossary
Atelier – A studio space designed for creative exploration, where children work with materials to express and investigate ideas.
Atelierista – A studio teacher, often with an arts background, who collaborates with children and educators to support expressive and conceptual learning.
Hundred Languages – The many forms through which children express themselves—such as drawing, sculpture, movement, sound, and storytelling.
Symbolic Representation – The process of using materials and images to communicate thoughts, emotions, or concepts.
Aesthetic Exploration – Learning that involves sensory, visual, and material awareness, fostering sensitivity to beauty, form, and creative process.
Articles and Resources on This Site
Fiona meets clay for the first time. Through gesture and touch, she enters a sensory dialogue, revealing the depth of nonverbal learning and relational presence.
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