Horouf Reggio Conference Highlights Benefits of Alternative Learning Techniques

Teachers and educational professionals from across the UAE and the region are being introduced to an expression-based learning approach at a three-day conference beginning tomorrow (Tuesday), the first ever ‘Horouf Reggio Conference’, which is being organised by Horouf, a subsidiary of Kalimat Group, hosting representatives from the Italian Reggio Children Centre.

The conference focusses on the ‘Reggio Emilia Approach’ to education and addresses its innovative teaching systems which move away from traditional subjects and curricula, with the belief that youngsters learn the basics of mathematics and language through play, thinking and speaking during their daily activities.

The method aims to give young children the opportunity to express themselves by using unconventional learning tools, while teachers rely on interaction and observation in order to understand the children’s educational needs and adjust their classes accordingly.

The conference brings together an elite group of senior professionals in the Reggio Children Centre and Italy’s education sector, including Claudia Giudici, President of Reggio Children and Professor at the University of Modena, and Marina Costagnetti who worked as a teacher for 17 years and authored many educational books. Other speakers include Marco Spaggiari, a teacher at the International Centre Loris Malaguzzi in Reggio Emilia, Northern Italy and Emanuela Vercalli, who has worked at the Reggio Children Centre for eighteen years in the International Exchange Office.

A workshop is being held alongside the conference to explore ways of developing education systems in Emirati schools to discover children’s potential thinking skills by embracing modern education philosophies and sophisticated alternative curricula.

The UAE Ministry of Education and the Sharjah Education Council are the conference’s Strategic Partners, with Sharjah Islamic Bank as the Official Sponsor, GEMS Education Group, Zayed University and Skyline University College acting as Educational Sponsors, the ‘1001 Titles’ initiative and Knowledge without Borders are sponsoring Atelier (the workshop), Sharjah Media Corporation and Sharjah Government Media Bureau are Media Sponsors, Al Qasba is the Venue Sponsor, and the Bank of Sharjah, Sharjah Cooperative Society and Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry are Conference Sponsors.

Established in 2013, Horouf, an imprint of the Sharjah-based Kalimat Group, aims to create contemporary and innovative educational methods for children in Arabic. Its portfolio has numerous print and digital works in addition to interactive applications. Prior to its official launch, Horouf worked on research projects with 30 schools in Sharjah to explore, develop and understand best practices in educational publishing.