The Hundred Languages

No way. The hundred is there.

The child
is made of one hundred.
The child has
a hundred languages
a hundred hands
a hundred thoughts
a hundred ways of thinking
of playing, of speaking.

A hundred always a hundred
ways of listening
of marveling, of loving
a hundred joys
for singing and understanding
a hundred worlds
to discover
a hundred worlds
to invent
a hundred worlds
to dream.

The child has
a hundred languages
(and a hundred hundred hundred more)
but they steal ninety-nine.
The school and the culture
separate the head from the body.
They tell the child:
to think without hands
to do without head
to listen and not to speak
to understand without joy
to love and to marvel
only at Easter and at Christmas.

They tell the child:
to discover the world already there
and of the hundred
they steal ninety-nine.

They tell the child:
that work and play
reality and fantasy
science and imagination
sky and earth
reason and dream
are things
that do not belong together.

And thus they tell the child
that the hundred is not there.
The child says:
No way. The hundred is there.

-Loris Malaguzzi (translated by Lella Gandini)
Founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach

Fresh Ayre is owned and operated by EmmaJayne Bjormark a mother and resident from Brackendale. EmmaJayne has held a passionate interest in early childhood education since her teen years. Holding her Early Childhood Education and Infant Toddler Diploma from Capilano University she has over fifteen years of experience in the field; including studying at Stockholm University in Sweden. During her time as an Educator she has gained experience in a variety of philosophies each one holding values that strongly influence Fresh Ayre. However it has been Loris Malaguzzi that captured her heart with the Reggio Emilia approach towards education in the early years. The Hundred Languages sums it up and at Fresh Ayre we strive to listen and to learn as we grow together.

Fresh Ayre aims to give children the opportunity to enjoy every aspect of their time with us.

Our core values are:

  • Our ambition is to maintain an outdoor learning environment which facilitates children’s discovery of the world around them while developing their cognitive, physical, social and spiritual abilities.
  • At Fresh Ayre we will cherish and foster virtues and qualities such as self-discipline, self-motivation, critical thinking, creativity, confidence, respect, compassion and cooperation.
  • We believe in encouraging freedom to explore, choose, create and grow while fostering an appreciation of differences in personality and culture.
  •  We strive to support, nurture and promote connections and collaborations between all members of the community to continuously enrich and guide children’s learning while promoting peace in our classroom and in the world beyond.

Another strong backbone of Fresh Ayre are the documents:

• BC Early Learning Framework
• From Theory to Practice.

These were created by the BC Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

http://www.learnnowbc.ca/educators/EarlyLearningCentre/EarlyLearningFramework/resources.aspx

 

 

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