The Studios

Inspired by the ateliers of the schools of Reggio Emilia, studios are dedicated to building children’s expressive capabilities. They are places to move, experience new materials, learn new techniques, draw, build and create.

“The child is made of one hundred. The child has a hundred languages a hundred hands a hundred thoughts a hundred ways of thinking of playing, of speaking. A hundred. Always a hundred” ~ Loris Malaguzzi

George Forman and Brenda Fyfe (2012) described the hundred languages of children as symbolic languages children use to express their own knowledge and desires through artwork, conversation, early writing, dramatic play, music, dance, and other outlets.

Having dedicated studio spaces and a studio teacher (called an Atelierista) allows for long-term inquiry-based projects led by a materials expert so that children can gain skill and success and groups can build knowledge by being able to revisit work left in place and think about projects over time. Typically children will visit a studio in small groups so that they can consider an idea together and build on experience.

There are three studios at WACC:

The Big Studio

Children can experiment with various materials and media, explore light and shadows, finger paint, and make large-scale paper-mâché or construction projects. Materials such as paper, a variety of tapes, wire, clay, and various kinds of glues and adhesives are available with easy access to the children. We strive to provide open-ended and recycled materials. Children learn how to cut, fold, tear, and use materials to investigate ideas and solve problems. It is the process of creating and the learning through working together rather than the product of the effort that is the focus of the program.

The Little Studio

Set between the two older toddler classrooms, this space allows children and staff to work in small groups while still in the classroom. Toddlers move quickly, so the small studio allows them to move in and out of activities easily, as inspiration shifts. We are committed to offering creative experiences daily, and having a space where these classrooms can create and just “walk away” to clean up later is a gift to the budding artists among us - and their teachers!

The Movement Studio

This is an indoor space that serves as a gym and a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mat) studio. It is a laboratory for learning about motion with ramps, wheel and axle elements, magnets and tubes. The Movement Studio also offers a traverse climbing wall, ballet bars with mirrors for movement and dance and a swing for vestibular work. A wonderful space for a smaller group of children to have a yoga class or dance lesson, the flexibility of this space means that it is destined to be used by multiple groups of children every day.