For us, one of the most critical statements is the Image of the Child on which our  framework is grounded - the image that Reggio Emilia upholds and offers to the world. In the old days, children were considered as vessels ready to be filled with knowledge that we, as adults, were to give them—hence the thematic curriculum, etc. Reggio viewed young children as “capable, full of potential, as persons with complex identities, grounded in their individual strengths and capacities and their unique social, linguistic and cultural heritage.” A very different view from what we previously thought. We believe this idea is worth thinking about, as it changes everything from how we speak to children, learn with children and respect who and what they are. Children have a right to their culture, language and unique heritage whatever their background – they deserve to be considered and respected, as you would with any adult and they deserve to be understood. Early childhood is a time of great learning, exploration and huge growth and development. In our environments at Erin Ridge Children's Academy we aim to make the settings beautiful, the curriculum open and the learning child-driven and unique to the child. Every child is different with developmental similarities—we try to honour and respect both the similarities and the differences by valuing each and every child. Educators at Erin Ridge Children's Academy reflect often about the children and what they are learning, what their interests are and where we are going with our curriculum. Although it is open-ended and based on the children’s interest, the journey is documented, the learning visible and conveyed to you through HiMama, newsletters,  bulletin boards, the website, emails, the class room and in face-to-face conversations. At Erin Ridge Children's Academy we value your capable, intelligent, and diverse children! They are the centre of it all and that’s one of the reasons for “Why Reggio.”