Project work is one of the key characteristics of the learning approach towards learning
and teaching employed in kindergartens and established on the pedagogical concept of
the Reggio Emilia (RE) kindergartens. Also in Slovenian kindergartens this is a widely
spread and popular approach. The article focuses on the theoretical starting points and characteristics of the project approach to learning – in the RE and Slovenian
kindergartens –, ensuring children's adopting the leading role in the learning process, in
developing new knowledge, in solving problems and/or providing them with the
opportunities to largely participate in creating everyday activities and in decisionmaking
in the kindergarten. In the first part of the article the starting points of the
project work in the RE kindergartens are presented; the chapter is followed by the
exhibition of a similar model of inquiry problem solving implemented in Slovenian
kindergartens.
In the second part the theoretical starting points of democratic participation of children
in kindergartens and the starting points of the participation in the pedagogic approach of
the RE kindergartens are presented; the chapter is followed by the exhibition of the
parallel model of the project work based on open-ended problem solving and
investigating applied in Slovenian kindergartens as an approach to fostering the
participation of children.
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