This special three-volume bundle of Innovations offers a rich and multifaceted exploration of early childhood education through the lens of the Reggio Emilia Approach, with a focus on co-research between children and educators, community, and documentation as a reflective practice. Each issue builds upon the shared theme “Together on a Journey: Children and Teachers as Co-researchers in Schools and Communities,” illuminating how inquiry, relationships, and pedagogical documentation shape democratic and dynamic learning environments.
Volume 1 centers on the profound role of research as a co-constructed, everyday practice between children and adults in schools. In a time marked by global unrest, the issue grounds its message in hope and resilience, emphasizing the ethical responsibility of educators to engage in meaningful inquiry with children. It includes collaborative reflections on the nature of research, articles exploring the interdependence of science, democracy, and education, and insights into long-term studies on children’s relationship with nature. Highlights include voices from North America and Reggio Emilia educators, with perspectives on challenging linear views of teaching and embracing uncertainty in co-research.
Volume 2 deepens the inquiry into the dynamics of co-research, emphasizing the cultural and communal dimensions of teacher and child inquiry. It explores the essential role of educators as cultured and curious co-learners and features contributions from both North American and Reggio educators. Articles examine how power, identity, and documentation intersect in research processes and how communities, networks, and professional learning shape Reggio-inspired practice. Interviews and conference reflections provide an international view of the evolving Reggio network, with a call to educators to resist returning to “normal” and instead reimagine the image of the child and the purpose of education.
Volume 3 is a peer-reviewed issue dedicated to the theme “The Lens and the Mirror: Co-Constructing the Meaning of Community with Children.” It offers in-depth case studies and theoretical reflections on the practice of documentation as a means of community-building and pedagogical reflection. Two peer-reviewed articles explore how glass as material and metaphor reveals new modes of interaction and how documentation becomes an ecological and cyclical practice of knowledge-sharing. Reflections from seasoned educators and a thought-provoking book review on neoliberalism and education policy broaden the conversation, urging a political and ethical stance in early childhood education.
Together, these three volumes offer educators, researchers, and advocates a comprehensive look into how the Reggio Emilia philosophy supports a responsive, relational, and reflective pedagogy. This bundle is ideal for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of co-research, democratic learning, and the power of documentation in early childhood contexts.
