Reggio Emilia Part 3: Choice for Toddlers: Invitation, Not Independence Alone

Dr. Cynthia DiCarlo, Louisiana State University

This six-part blog series highlights a visit to the Cinema School in Bologna, Italy, and explores the shifts early childhood educators might consider when rethinking choice in their own programs. The school, directed by Beatrice Vitali, was toured in collaboration with ECEI researcher Marcella Terrusi of the University of Bologna. While many classrooms emphasize child choice within centers or activities, this school demonstrated what it looks like when choice is embedded into the design of the entire environment. Across this series, key structures—from movement across spaces to flexible routines—are examined with consideration for how these ideas might translate into practice in early childhood settings.

Choice for Toddlers: Invitation, Not Independence Alone

As discussions of choice expand beyond centers and activities to include movement across environments, it becomes equally important to consider how these ideas apply across developmental levels. While older preschool children may be able to navigate multiple spaces with increasing independence, choice for toddlers requires a different level of intentionality.

In environments designed for very young children, choice is not removed—it is structured through invitation.

Rather than expecting children to independently navigate a wide range of spaces, the environment is organized so that children can make decisions within a clearly supported framework. Adults play a central role in this process, not by directing children toward specific activities, but by positioning themselves within spaces and inviting children into experiences.

As illustrated below, children are grouped within defined areas, with adults supporting engagement within those spaces.

Children are supported within defined spaces, where adults guide engagement and help structure opportunities for choice within the environment.

This structure reflects an important distinction. Choice is present, but it is not unbounded. Children are not expected to independently navigate all spaces; instead, they are supported in making decisions within environments that are intentionally designed to promote success. Adults provide continuity within spaces, helping children engage, remain, and return to experiences over time.

Research on structured choice supports this approach, demonstrating that when children are provided with clearly defined options within supportive environments, engagement increases, particularly in settings where children are still developing the skills needed to make independent decisions (DiCarlo et al., 2012). This also highlights a shift in the role of the adult. Rather than moving children through the day as a group, adults create conditions that support decision-making. This may include inviting a child into a space, modeling how to use materials, or remaining present within an area to sustain engagement. These actions are subtle, but they are critical in helping children learn how to make choices.

This raises an important consideration for practice: What does choice look like for the youngest children in the classroom, and how is it being supported through both the environment and adult interaction?

Within Reggio Emilia–inspired environments, even the youngest children are viewed as capable participants in their own learning (Santín & Torruella, 2017). However, this capability is not assumed to develop independently. It is supported through carefully designed environments and responsive adult interactions that guide children toward meaningful engagement.

Teachers might consider how children are grouped, how spaces are defined, and how adults position themselves within the environment. These elements shape how children experience choice. When environments are intentionally designed and adults are strategically positioned, even very young children are able to participate in decision-making in ways that are developmentally appropriate and meaningful.

Reggio Emilia Tenets in Practice

This example highlights the role of the teacher as researcher, as adults observe, invite, and respond to children’s engagement within spaces. It reflects the image of the child as capable (RE5), while recognizing that autonomy is developed through supported experiences (Santín & Torruella, 2017). Elements of negotiated learning are also present, as children and adults co-construct engagement within shared environments.

References

DiCarlo, C., Baumgartner, J., Schellhaas, A., & Pierce, S. (2012). Using structured choice to increase child engagement in low preference centers. Early Child Development and Care, 183(1), 109–124.

Santín, M. F., & Torruella, M. F. (2017). Reggio Emilia: An essential tool to develop critical thinking in early childhood. Journal of New Approaches in Educational Research, 6(1), 50–56. https://doi.org/10.7821/naer.2017.1.207

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Dr. Cynthia DiCarlo is a Professor and Program Coordinator of the Early Childhood Education at Louisiana State University and the Executive Director of the Early Childhood Education Institute www.lsu.edu/ecei

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