Contributions from Reggio Emillia: Listening as a practice for the realization of children’s rights

Abstract

This work aims to understand how the Pedagogy of Listening permeates the pedagogical proposal of the Early Childhood Education institutions of Reggio Emilia, with emphasis on analyzing the relationship between this practice and the guarantee of children’s rights. Starting from the historical, political and social trajectory of these rights and the construction of their conception as a subject of rights, it appears that a fundamental aspect for these rights to become effective is listening to children. Therefore, investigating the listening practices present in Reggio Emilia's approach emerged as a way to understand the importance of this approach in the lives of childrens. This research revealed that listening collaborates in the self-perception of children as subjects of rights and protagonists of their teaching-learning processes, and promotes experiences of the exercise of such rights and the disruption of adult-centeredness.