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More Than a Mark! – EtonHouse

More Than a Mark! – EtonHouse

By invitation from REACH in the spirit of the 2024 conference ‘In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening to Children’s Languages through the Mosaic of Marks, Words, Material’, we were very excited to bring together our very own poetic mosaic with thoughtful projects that captured the complexity of children’s thinking and learning. 

Our exhibition celebrated the many ways children notice, analyse and communicate with the magic and unlimited potential of marks in diverse ways!

As we pondered about marks and their powerful potential, we invited our EtonHouse educators to discuss and dialogue as we asked, ‘What does a mark mean to you? Using responses from our educators, we were excited to launch our ‘More than just a Mark’ poem as a celebration of perspectives to honour the exhibition and provoke many conversations into the future.

“Marks are clues! They are messages… but you have to slow down to see them!” Willow, 7 years old

– EtonHouse International Schools and Pre-Schools

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Exploring the Meaning of Mark-Making

This exhibition presents:

  • moments of the Earliest Encounters with marks, realised by children from 6 to 18 months
  • learning journeys of children from 4 to 6 years old, making sense of The Marks of Culture using culturally significant mark-making materials.

This exhibition aims to make visible how mark-making offers opportunities for children to develop understandings about functions of tools, cause and effect, imaginative expressions, social relationships and the joy of simply being with familiar people and places.

– E-Bridge Pre-Schools

Many people may not know Reggio Emilia. Reggio Emilia is a small town, but for us preschool educators, it is a place where a legend began.

I feel like the whole town is maintaining, developing, and running this education system as a big group. Reggio Emilia people turn their educational “characteristics” into a “highlight”, and eventually build a “selling point” and promote it to the world.

We don’t just need to learn from Reggio Emilia’s approach that “every child is unique” and how to integrate the natural environment into our teaching; It is also important to learn from the efforts of Reggio Emilia educators in promoting their own teaching systems.

或许并没有很多人知道瑞吉欧.艾米利亚这个小城市,但是对于我们幼教者而言,却是一个传奇开始的地方。

我觉得整个小镇都在维持、发展、经营这个教育理念。瑞吉欧人把自己在教学上的“特点”变成一个“亮点”,最终打造成一个“卖点”,并推广到全世界。

我们不止要学习瑞吉欧在教育理念中所提倡的“每个孩子都是独一无二的”、学习如何将自然环境融合在教学中;同时也要学习瑞吉欧的教育工作者在推广自身教学体系中所付出的努力。

Reflection by:
Xu Liping 徐莉萍
Mandarin Curriculum Coordinator
EtonHouse Pre-School Newton

With a deep curiosity and eagerness to understand the Reggio Emilia philosophy, I embarked on a study group to Reggio Emilia, Italy—a journey that enriched me beyond expectations. This experience was nothing short of extraordinary, it is as if I had discovered a “fountain of knowledge,” with thoughts flowing endlessly like a spring.

Stepping into the open glass architecture of the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre immediately transported me to the dreams of my childhood, igniting boundless imagination and an insatiable desire to explore. The unique clay atelier and workshops held me spellbound—I found myself fully immersed, unable to step away. The remarkable organisation and thoughtful categorisation of an endless array of recycled materials at REMIDA left me in awe, showcasing an unparalleled level of intentionality and creativity.

Each vivid and distinctive case study we encountered was profoundly enlightening, like a sudden moment of clarity that reshaped my perspective. Collaborating with fellow participants—engaging in group discussions, brainstorming sessions, and collective reflections—created a rich tapestry of shared learning and unforgettable memories.

I am deeply grateful to the EtonHouse for this invaluable and inspiring journey to Reggio Emilia. It has illuminated my path, strengthened my confidence in inquiry, and provided a profound opportunity for reflection. This experience has not only deepened my understanding of education but has also reaffirmed my commitment to exploration and growth.

怀揣着对瑞吉欧教育理念的强烈求知欲, 我有幸踏上了意大利瑞吉欧游学之路, 也如愿满载而归,内心丰盈。在瑞吉欧游学的过程中, 有太多可圈可点的体验, 仿若发现了“知识的源泉”一般,思如泉眼。

开放式玻璃建筑的马拉古兹中心, 瞬间将我拉回儿时梦想中的情景, 让人浮想联翩,探索欲爆棚。独具个性的黏土艺术及工作坊, 让我静静沉浸其中, 无法挪动我的脚步。琳琅满目的回收材料, 精准的分类, 合理的布, 让整个REMIDA呈现出让人叹为观止的状态。一个个鲜活而具特色的案例, 让我受到了很大的启发, 犹如醍醐灌顶。大家一起集思广益, 小组分享,头脑风暴, 成就了一段精华的回忆录。

非常感恩伊顿集团馈赠于我们如此宝贵且具有启发性的意大利瑞吉欧游学, 让我们在探索的道路中找到了“灯塔”, 建立了探索的信心, 同时有了一次发人深省的反思。

Reflection by:
Zeng Li 曾丽
Senior Mandarin Teacher
EtonHouse Pre-School Upper Bukit Timah