In a Reggio Emilia–inspired program, an Atelier is much more than an art room. It is a laboratory of exploration—a dedicated space where children investigate ideas, experiment with materials, and make their thinking visible through creative expression. At the heart of the atelier is the Atelierista, an educator with a background in the arts who collaborates with teachers and children to extend learning through creative media. Together, they weave imagination, discovery, and reflection into the fabric of daily life.
At Ashley Hall, Wendy Robbins, our Atelierista, guides children in this unique space, helping them transform questions and curiosities into meaningful creations. In the post below, Wendy invites you into our Atelier’s new home, a place filled with light, inspiration, and possibility—where children are encouraged to wonder, take risks, and celebrate the beauty of their own ideas.
Here’s more from our very own Atelierista:
This past summer, a special place in Pierce Hall, beside the Lower School STEAM Lab, was set aside and renovated for use as the new Atelier. This room is lined on three walls with large windows, filling the room with the most beautiful natural light. The fourth wall reveals four brick archways. Outside the windows is a charming hand-painted mural depicting campus scenes familiar to the children. The room is lovely and fits the aesthetic of the Reggio Approach in the most perfect ways. Shadows fall across the floor and move up onto the walls, inviting curious children to observe and interact. There is plenty of space for dedicated movement and art areas. The environment has a calmness to it that calls to eager learners to explore and share ideas.
When we first learned that the Atelier would be moving, we all wondered how we would be able to recreate the feelings and functions of the original. In the Reggio Approach, the environment is considered the “third teacher.” This means educators go beyond decorating the space, and they consider ways that it can engage the children in the process of learning. Materials are organized to promote meaningful interactions. Furniture is placed conducive to the patterns of children’s movement around the room. Children are able to be autonomous, drawing upon the environment to make their own choices related to their interests. Teachers are always observing and reflecting on what could be changed or added to build layers of the children’s learning.
Recently in the Atelier, we have been introduced to or become reacquainted with materials that are staples in our room. We learned how to care for and utilize tools that we use for painting and clay work. I have been inspired by the gifts that the children bring me, small mementos from the natural world such as leaves, flowers, rocks, and shells. I decided to set up the atelier with a variety of mediums for the children to use to further explore these special items. They use paint to cover their treasures with vibrant color. Sticks poke out of natural clay, often representing cakes and calling for impromptu birthday celebrations. With crayons and colored pencils, the children draw on and around the treasures, sometimes creating a story as they go along.
As the year progresses, we feel fortunate to have such an inspiring place to work, play, and learn. This is a space where children can feel ownership and know that they belong here. They can feel free to take risks, ask big questions, and test their theories in their own ways. Here, their creativity is valued and held close to the heart of our program.
As you have conversations with your children at home, ask them questions that encourage answers that speak to who they are as thinkers. Here are some examples:
Tell me something interesting about this work.
What happened when you tried this new material today?
How did you feel as you created this?
This dialogue keeps the spirit of creativity alive and nurtures the ever evolving process of learning.
Wendy Robbins
Early School Atelierista