Learning How Children Learn: The Atelier Workshop for Parents
Our Spotlight SHC Article SHC Early years SHC Nursery SHC Parents SHC Story SHC TeacherAt Shrewsbury International School Bangkok City Campus, we believe that learning is a journey of exploration—not just for children, but for adults too. Recently, we welcomed parents, as well as our Shrewsbury UK and Bangkok Governors, to an immersive Early Years Parents Workshop that focused on The Atelier.
A Hands-On Experience for Parents
Led by our Assistant Principal for Early Years and Key Stage 1, Catherine Okill, the workshop provided parents with a first-hand experience of what their children encounter every day at Shrewsbury International School Bangkok City Campus. Before the workshop began, Ms Okill set the stage by telling parents, “Be ready to explore!” With this warm invitation, she encouraged them to step into the world of The Atelier—where creativity, discovery, and learning come together.
“Be ready to explore!”
The Atelier—where creativity, discovery, and learning come together.
The Reggio Emilia Inspiration
At Shrewsbury International School Bangkok City Campus, our Early Years programme is inspired by the Reggio Emilia Philosophy. This approach, developed in Italy after World War II, sees children as capable, competent, and full of potential. It is not a fixed curriculum but a way of teaching that values democracy, collaboration, and the child’s natural curiosity.
We see children as capable, competent, and full of potential.
Key Highlights of the Reggio Emilia Approach:
- The Image of the Child – Children are seen as capable and competent. They are active participants in their learning, with their own unique interests and strengths, along with a natural curiosity and a desire to learn.
- The 100 Languages of the Child – Children have multiple ways of expressing themselves—through drawing, painting, movement, storytelling, sculpture, and more. These “languages” are honoured and integrated into the learning process. The Reggio Emilia Approach does not prioritise one language over another.
- The Environment as the Third Teacher – As Loris Malaguzzi, a highly influential Early Years educator in the development of the Reggio Emilia philosophy, said, “There are three teachers of children: adults, other children, and their physical environment.” The Early Years learning space at Shrewsbury International School Bangkok City Campus is intentionally designed to be organised, inviting, clean, calm, nature-based, and rich with open-ended resources at child-friendly levels, allowing children to thrive.
“There are three teachers of children: adults, other children, and their physical environment.”
What is an Atelier?
In the context of Reggio Emilia, The Atelier is more than just an art studio—it is a space of collaboration, exploration, and discovery. It represents The 100 Languages of the Child, where children engage in hands-on learning, test ideas, and think through creativity.
During our Early Years Parents Workshop that focused on The Atelier, parents were invited to explore materials, engage with their senses, and reflect on their interactions—just as children do during their day-to-day activity in Early Years, where The Atelier is always an integral part of their learning experience.
Bringing The Atelier into the Classroom
This workshop wasn’t just about theory—it was about practice. By engaging in open-ended exploration, we reflected on how The Atelier principles come to life in our Early Years classrooms. Instead of following rigid templates, children are given the freedom to experiment, make decisions, and express themselves in their own unique ways.
A Shared Story of Learning
At the heart of The Atelier experience is storytelling—not just in words, but through every interaction with materials. As parents explored, they created their own narratives, mirroring the learning journeys their children embark on each day. This powerful experience reinforced the importance of an environment that values imagination, experimentation, and expression.
Through this workshop, we bridged the gap between school and home, helping parents understand not only what their children learn, but how they learn at Shrewsbury International School Bangkok City Campus. By fostering curiosity and exploration at every level, we continue to create a learning community where everyone—children, teachers, and parents—can flourish together.