Invitations and Provocations

These are words that we have thrown around in the past but after a recent workshop that a few of our staff attended, they have become a reality within the center.

Invitations and Provocations are a method of teaching within the Reggio Emilia philiosophy that both provide children with experiences for exploration and as interests are observed, new materials are offered to provoke deeper thought and more meaningful learning opportunities.

Our first invitation was a simple loose parts play experience using a variety of materials and empty frames.

Based on the observations of the children during the first invitation, over the next few days we provided materials such as clay, beads and mirrors to explore a few more ideas and try to gain more insight into the children's interests. 

For our Kindergarten children, this also allowed us the opportunity to assess some of their strengths as well as areas where they needed assistance developmentally such as literacy and language development, balance, emotional awareness and attending skills. 

Our final invitation really helped us determine how we would move forward with our emergent curriculum planning. We provided the chidren with materials to stack and build with which they created "Paris". 

Stay tuned for our follow up to all of these amazing Invitations with our Provocations Blog coming later this week.