Innehållsförteckning för AUGUST/SEPTEMBER ISSUE 21 2025 från Pedagogy+

The world of early childhood education lost a beloved and visionary leader and thinker with the passing of Professor Carla Rinaldi on April 16, 2025. As a guiding light in the educational project of Reggio Emilia, Carla shaped the way generations of educators understand children, learning and relationships. Her absence is deeply felt not only by those who knew her personally but also by countless educators, scholars and advocates worldwide who were inspired by her work. Carla’s presence in the early childhood education and care sector was more than professional; it was deeply human. She offered not only wisdom but also warmth, generosity and a profound respect for children’s capabilities. Her passing marks an immeasurable loss. Yet, we find ourselves sustained by the legacy she leaves behind — a legacy…

I believe that teachers must communicate a willingness to assist children in their search for meaning in life… Looking and listening with love, complicity, and openness allows teachers to understand what lies behind the child’s questions and theoriesCarlina Rinaldi, 2006 In 1996, Carla Rinaldi was invited to give a speech at a conference in Milan titled Nostalgia for the Future. The conference was dedicated to Loris Malaguzzi, who had died suddenly two years prior: ‘an enormous vacuum, arousing fear that we would lose the sense of the experience [of the municipal infant-toddler centres and preschools] itself’ (Rinaldi, 2021, p.27). Carla’s response was to write a paper titled Malaguzzi and the teachers. Years later, she recalled her struggle to write this speech at such an emotional time: There was a need…

It is always a joy to reconnect with Dr Stefania Giamminuti—her deep ties to Reggio Emilia are defined by treasured friendships and an ethos of true collaboration. As a writer, researcher and educator, she has shared the poetry and depth of the Reggio approach internationally, keeping the dialogue alive with beauty, curiosity and heart. That spirit lives in this quietly beautiful image. Behind Stefania, the sun-warmed Basilica di San Prospero feels like an old friend. Where better to while away an afternoon in Reggio than the mystical Piazza San Prospero, when the market’s bustle disappears and the day softens into ‘slow’ conversations over an aperitivo… WHAT IS ONE IMAGE OR MOMENT THAT CAPTURES THE SPIRIT OF REGGIO EMILIA FOR YOU? ReggioNarra storytelling events, where the connection between the city and…

Learning from Carla Rinaldi has brought such joy, clarity and purpose to my teaching practice with young children. Her work didn’t just transform how I see education—it reshaped how I view children, community and myself. Every time I return to her words, I feel a spark of inspiration that reaffirms why I chose this path of learning alongside children. There is a profound joy in her philosophy of respect, beauty, and a deep belief in the potential of every child. One of the most powerful ideas Carla offered was that children are not becoming—they already are. She wrote: ‘The child is not a citizen of the future; he (sic) is a citizen from the very first moment of life and also the most important citizen because he represents and brings…

Within the world of education, few publishing houses offer books as profoundly beautiful and intellectually rich as those from Reggio Children. These volumes—many of them elegantly designed, visually stunning, and deeply reflective—offer an intimate window into the thinking, creativity, and learning of children and adults in Reggio Emilia’s municipal preschools. REGGIO CHILDREN ‘In the books of Reggio Children, words and images by children and adults – teachers, atelieristas’, and pedagogistas’ weave together and make visible a less common image of childhood. This is a language that declares and supports the value and importance of aesthetic dimension of knowledge.’ Reggio Children IN DIALOGUE WITH REGGIO EMILIA - NEW UPDATED EDITION! Listening, researching and learning Author: Carlina Rinaldi Introduction: Gunilla Dahlberg and Peter Moss English translation by Jane McCall and Leslie Morrow…

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The first time Susan met Carlina, Susan had just presented at a conference hosted by the St Louis Reggio Collaborative. Afterwards, Louise Cadwell drove Carlina and Susan home for dinner. Carlina had listened to the presentation, and Susan was so nervous. It was one of the first presentations Susan had ever written, and it focused on one very special child and her remarkable growth over time. While Carlina affirmed that it was a valuable story, she gave Susan some specific feedback during that car ride that she has never forgotten, and that has guided her observations ever since. She said to Susan, ‘The child in your story is too much alone.’ Susan had been so focused on telling the story of this one child that she neglected to widen her…

Carla Rinaldi has had an enduring impact on me and my colleagues at Project Zero (PZ)—a research center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Carla was a transformative thinker and educational activist who touched and transformed many of us personally as well as professionally. The formidable power of the pedagogy of listening and the pedagogy of relationships—two critical foundations of the Reggio Approach—has inspired and influenced Project Zero’s research on topics ranging from global competence to the arts and aesthetics to digital learning. I first met Carla Rinaldi in the 1980s when she came to visit Project Zero. What I mostly remember from that time is her blonde hair (I don’t think she was wearing leather pants yet) and the connection between Howard Gardner’s seven intelligences and the metaphor…

In April 2025, the world of early childhood education lost a luminary — Professor Carla Rinaldi. Her passing in Reggio Emilia, the city that both shaped her and was shaped by her, leaves a profound void. For me, the loss is deeply personal. Carla was not only a colleague, mentor and collaborator, but also a cherished friend who touched my life with wisdom, warmth and extraordinary grace. After many encounters in Reggio Emilia, New Zealand, Singapore and conferences around the world, our professional and personal lives became forever intertwined during her appointment as the South Australian Government’s Thinker in Residence (2011–2012), an initiative that brought international expertise into the heart of public policy. Carla’s presence in Adelaide sparked a powerful dialogue about the rights of children, democratic participation, and the…

Dancing and Dialogue: Pages that Carry Carla Rinaldi’s Legacy Forward Two special books — Dancing with Reggio Emilia by Stefania Giamminuti and In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, Researching and Learning by Carlina Rinaldi — gifted in honour of Carla Rinaldi’s enduring legacy. A heartfelt thank you to Pademelon Press and REAIE for their generosity in making these gifts possible and for joining us in celebrating Carla’s remarkable contribution and the lasting inspiration of Reggio Emilia. How to enter to WIN Be a current Pedagogy+ subscriber Follow Semann & Slattery, Pademelon Press and Reggio Australia on Facebook and/or Instagram. @semannslattery @pademelonpress @reggioaustralia…

Ben Mardell is the atelierista and pedagogista at Newtowne School (Cambridge, MA, USA) and a research affiliate at the MIT Media Lab’s LifeLong Kindergarten. He is proud to have been one of the keynote speakers at the 2025 Inspire Conference in Sydney. The ideas of Carlina Rinaldi and her colleagues in Reggio Emilia have changed early childhood education around the world. I am among the thousands of educators whose understanding of our work has been transformed by our encounters with Reggio. One of these powerful ideas is the notion that young children are not only future citizens or citizens in training, but rather citizens in the here and now. An important implication that children are citizens is that we adults have a lot to learn from children. Carlina explains this…

Clare Comedoy is a pedagogical leader with Excellence in Education, supporting educators and leaders to think again, see again, and cultivate reflective, democratic practice across early childhood settings. SOME IDEAS DO NOT SIMPLY SHAPE YOUR WORK, THEY SHIFT THE GROUND BENEATH IT… Carla Rinaldi’s thinking has done this for me, reshaping the landscape I walk as a teacher and leader, inviting me to think again, to see again. In my current role as a pedagogical leader, supporting educators across multiple early learning services, Carla’s ideas remain a constant provocation. Earlier in my career, I longed for clarity and certainty, a stable canopy under which pedagogy could safely unfold. But Carla’s work shifted that, letting the light of new questions filter through. Now, I know that to be in this work…

Reconnect with purpose • Plan with clarity • Document with joy Albury–Wodonga – 1 September Canberra – 5 September Sydney – 8 September SOLD OUT Newcastle – 13 September Melbourne – 15 September Adelaide – 23 September Planning and documenting with children can feel complex—especially when we want it to stay authentic, meaningful and true to their voices. Join Dr Claire Warden, originator of the Thinking and Talking Floorbooks™approach, as she shares inspiring, practical ways to make documentation more manageable and deeply connected to children’s thinking. Educators today balance many responsibilities—planning, documentation, assessment, leadership and relationships. Drawing on her latest book, Planning With and For Children, Claire will guide you through the rich possibilities of working with Floorbooks™. You’ll explore how to make children’s thinking visible, plan responsively, and create…

Carla Rinaldi inspired my view of children as active citizens. Her advocacy for the child’s relationship with the world and the importance of mutual listening between adults, children, and the environment reshaped my understanding of participation and education as a shared journey of research and living together. Marian Matheson – Blackfriars Children’s Centre, NSW I was forever changed from the first moment I listened to Carla Rinaldi speak. She taught us that children are citizens from birth, competent, capable, and with rights. She challenged us to see children as protagonists of their learning, shaping environments and communities that honour their voice. Her work made visible the political power of early childhood education and our responsibility as educators. Meg Scott – Flinders University Childcare Centre, SA Carla Rinaldi was a profound…

Carla had the rare gift of strong meekness—a gentle strength that knew how to make people grow, accompany and inspire. Francesco Profumo, President of Fondazione Reggio Children in his obituary for Carla Rinaldi Carla always believed in the possibility of people to express themselves, to think in a hundred different ways, to share in a hundred different ways, to express themselves in a hundred different ways, to learn in a hundred different ways… …Today, in these difficult times, we need Carla’s wisdom and ideas, her respect, her playfulness, her kindness, more than ever. Personally, I will deeply miss our dear friend Carlina, as will the world Professor Mitchel Resnick, Director of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab and a member of the Scientific Committee of Fondazione Reggio…

We thought it appropriate to re-publish this article because it captures the profound impact of encountering Reggio Emilia firsthand—a vision so deeply shaped by Carla Rinaldi. The article honours Carla’s legacy by reminding us how place, pedagogy and personal reflection intertwine to inspire educators around the world. (Pedagogy Issue 18: Project Work) In April 2024, Adam participated in an international study tour to Reggio Emilia, Italy, immersing himself in the Reggio Emilia Approach. He was part of the Australian delegation led by the Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange. Adam says that his experience has brought to life more than ten years of reading, listening and thinking about the principles of Reggio Emilia. He shares that the experience has awakened a different kind of curiosity, wonder and responsibility for his work.…

I first encountered the thinking of Professor Carla Rinaldi as an undergraduate teacher. It was a passing remark in a lecture, brief and almost offhand, yet the idea lingered. I remember it being about how we listen in our classrooms. That moment opened a window. I began researching and reading, and soon Carla’s thinking appeared throughout the texts I returned to. Not long after, I was gifted a placement opportunity at Galilee Catholic School in South Australia. It was a visionary space, led by Principal Tina Adamo and a team of teachers who were not only inspired by the principles of Reggio Emilia but also actively working to interpret them within their own context. Every day brought conversations. I witnessed the practice of slowing down, of intentional reflection, of debate…

In cherished memory of Professor Carlina (Carla) Rinaldi, whose words have always brought clarity, visibility and new meaning to tightly held hopes, dreams and wonderings. I made an artwork last year. I hadn’t made one in a while. It was a soft return to something I once loved, and it welcomed me back with the warmth of a precious and treasured friend. Trained as a printmaker, I understand the pleasure of mixing coloured inks, layering, lathering, stripping back and adding, adding, adding. My soft return to printmaking last year didn’t involve any ink at all. Not because I couldn’t buy it or remember how to mix it, just because this artwork didn’t require it. Following several experimental attempts, finally the huge, heavy roller of the printing press slipped over my…

A Leadership and Wellbeing Retreat Like No Other 10 - 12 September 2025 In early childhood education, leadership is about inspiring others, embracing possibility, and shaping the future. Imagine what could be possible as you deepen your skills, expand your perspective, and invest in yourself. Nourish & Lead is your opportunity to reflect and realign with the kind of leader you aspire to be—stepping forward into possibility with purpose. Set in the breathtaking Hunter Valley, this two-day retreat invites you to pause, recalibrate, and explore the intersection between leadership and wellbeing. Hosted by Semann & Slattery, with the brilliant Dr Claire Warden and Aunty Denise Proud joining the conversation, it will offer deep insights, fresh perspectives, and an experience that will linger long after you return home. You will leave…

Carla Rinaldi’s life work, to defend and promote children and their right to education has had significant, positive and a lasting impact on educators and education across the world. Among many things, Carla taught us how to listen. Caral Rinaldi (1947–2025), is acknowledged and celebrated as one of the most influential, contemporary thinkers in education. As an acclaimed pedagogista from Reggio Emilia, thinker, advocate, researcher, philosopher and colleague, she was known as a guiding force behind Reggio Children and later the Fondazione Reggio Children – Centro Internazionale Loris Malaguzzi. Carla’s vision, work, relationships and leadership, gave voice and visibility globally, raising awareness and understanding of the Reggio Emilia Approach®. She gave us words and a language to better describe pedagogical ideas, thinking and encounters. Carla gifted us re-imagined and new…

We hope you enjoy Pedagogy+ the art of teaching. Each issue of the magazine looks at a theme relevant to early education; exploring and challenging practice and thinking. The pages of Pedagogy+ brim with inspiring articles, candid conversations, the latest trends and lifestyle treats — our brief being to foster critical thinking and stimulate conversations that can advance the theory and practice of pedagogy in early education settings, and to encourage you to think about you. Why subscribe? – it’s an opportunity to: • Slow down, relax and enjoy a well-informed read • Share in the insights of highly-respected and knowledgeable education experts • Enjoy the experience of deciding – what might I like for me or that would make a great gift for someone else • Critically reflect on…

What does it mean to be inspired by Reggio? Reggio is a metaphor and symbolic place. Being in relation to Reggio allows people to hope, to believe change is possible. It enables you to cultivate dreams, rather than being in utopia… Carla Rinaldi The educational project of Reggio Emilia is grounded in a deep respect for children, teachers and learning as a shared, dynamic process. With a strong ethical and pedagogical foundation, it invites us to reconsider a number of pedagogical practices. In this article, we offer you four key ideas: the image of the child, environments, documentation, and the teacher as researcher. THE IMAGE OF THE CHILD At the heart of the Reggio Emilia approach is a powerful and rights-based image of the child. Children are viewed not as empty…

In the immediate aftermath of World War II, amidst the ruins of a devastated Italy, a remarkable act of community-driven activism took root in the countryside near Reggio Emilia. In May 1945, residents of Villa Cella, determined to forge a better future for their children, sold a German tank, six horses and three trucks left behind by retreating forces. With the proceeds, they built a school—a tangible declaration of hope and resistance. This initiative was more than a construction project; it was a bold assertion of children’s rights and the community’s role in education. Loris Malaguzzi, a young educator and psychologist, was inspired by this grassroots movement. He joined forces with these pioneering families, laying the groundwork for what would evolve into the Reggio Emilia Approach—a philosophy rooted in the…

‘To speak to the world about children’s infinite wealth of potential, their ability to wonder and investigate, their ability to co-construct their knowledge through active and original relational processes: this has always been the primary objective of the exhibit.’ Malaguzzi (2015, p.9) In July 2025, the Mosaic of Marks, Words and Materials Exhibition-Atelier was first hosted in Adelaide, coinciding with the Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange (REAIE) Conference. This inaugural Australian exhibition marked a powerful moment, bringing the pedagogical research by the municipal infant toddler centres and preschools of Reggio Emilia into the public realm through an immersive and relational experience. Visitors were invited to encounter the expressive richness of children’s expression through marks, gestures, and words, traces of their research into the world. Following Adelaide, the exhibition will travel…

I lose a friend, a person of intelligence, vivacity, and unparalleled humanity… Carla has left an indelible mark on our history and culture Marco Massari, Mayor Reggio Emilia Carlina saw many around her as part of a large, extended family. Her relentless commitment to love and connection shaped both her thoughts and the words she shared Harold Göthson, Reggio Emilia Institutet, reflecting on over 30 years of friendship and collaboration A beautiful person and a very special teacher and intellectual, Carlina epitomised all that is good, creative and unique about Reggio Emilia’s early childhood project. Not only Reggio but the whole of the early childhood world lost an irreplaceable and much loved protagonist for a democratic, emancipatory and joyful education and for a pedagogy of listening and relationships that does…