Jardilín preschool exemplifies the environment as a third teacher in Reggio Emilia philosophy

Jardilín preschool in Olivos adopts the Reggio Emilia approach, treating the classroom as an active participant in children’s learning process, fostering exploration, independence, and adaptability.

In the Reggio Emilia philosophy, the classroom is understood as more than a backdrop for learning. It is treated as an active part of the educational process, shaping what children notice, try, question and create. Jardilín, a preschool in Olivos, takes that idea seriously: the school says its spaces are designed to invite exploration, collaboration and moments of quiet concentration, not simply to look attractive. Educational writers and Reggio Emilia institutions describe this as the environment acting as a “third teacher”, alongside parents and educators, because the room itself can influence how children think and behave.

That approach begins with a simple question: not what a room must contain, but what it should make possible. According to Jardilín, light, natural elements, accessible materials, order and visual harmony all matter, yet none of them are treated as decoration alone. The aim is to create a setting that encourages curiosity, independence and choice. Research and guidance on Reggio-inspired practice make a similar case, arguing that carefully arranged spaces can support active learning, flexibility and cooperation while also giving children a sense of security and well-being.

Jardilín also stresses that these spaces should never be considered finished. Children are expected to leave a mark on the room through the way they use it, where they pause and what captures their attention. That idea aligns with the wider Reggio Emilia tradition, in which classrooms are seen as changeable and responsive rather than fixed. The concept developed in municipal preschools in Reggio Emilia, where educators viewed materials, meeting areas and creative studios as part of a broader democratic culture of learning.

Teachers, in this model, do not step back; they work more deliberately. Jardilín says their role is to observe closely, choose materials carefully, and then adjust the environment in response to what children reveal through their play and investigation. Educational sources on Reggio Emilia describe this as a partnership between the child, the adult and the setting, with adults expected to know when to wait, when to add a prompt and when to let a line of inquiry continue on its own. The emphasis is on trust: trusting that children are capable of deeper discovery than adults may at first expect.

The result, Jardilín suggests, is a school that says something about the childhood it believes in. If children are seen as curious, capable and central to their own learning, then the spaces around them should reflect that belief. Rather than serving as polished display rooms, they should be places children can inhabit, adapt and remember. In that sense, the environment becomes a quiet but powerful statement of educational values: a promise that childhood deserves room, respect and confidence.