55. The Hundred Languages of Children

Alexis Ralphs Jan 21, 2022 • 7 min read

How many languages does your child speak?

Just one? Maybe two?

Educators in Reggio Emilia, Italy, believe that they have one hundred.

Not spoken languages, of course, but ways of expressing themselves.
Dance, art and music, sculpture, construction and song. Your child can speak in many ways.

It's tempting to measure our children's capabilities by what they can produce on paper, but do we miss if we do this?

What materials could you offer, what projects and experiences could you begin, what could you learn about your own child's boundless potential if you stepped away from the lined paper and the pencil?

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Alexis

I'm Alexis, father of four and founder of One Hundred Toys. I taught in London primary schools for thirteen years, specialising in the early years. Now I write about all things play here on the blog. Read more

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