b'Each baby needs a someoneand they need their someone to be Supportinginfantsandchildreninexpressingandsensitiveandresponsive,justgoodenoughbutnotperfector communicating through their hundred languages also supportstrying to be perfect. the childs developing sense of freedom.When a child has a someone who is good enoughand who is not I IS FOR IMAGE OF THE CHILDwasting their focus on an unattainable goal of perfectionthe Another key concept from the Reggio Emilia approach is the imagechild can enjoy a healthy give-and-take and explore in genuine of the child. When we examine our beliefs and biases, we discoverfreedom. The good-enough someone is an essential component that we have many ideas about children from many different sources.of the curated environment. Many children are fortunate to have Some of these beliefs are conscious and intentional, and others aremultiple someones in their lives, but it really only takes one good- under the level of conscious awareness. The image of the child refersenough someone for the child to have the opportunity for healthy towhatapersonorgroupofpeoplebelieve,understand,anddevelopment. assumeabouttheroleofchildrenineducationandsociety.Thisimageincludeshowpeoplethinkaboutchildrenscapabilities,H IS FOR HUNDRED LANGUAGESdevelopment, motivations, purpose, and personal agency, and social,Loris Malaguzzi was an educational psychologist who developed cultural, and historical experiences influence a persons image of thethe Reggio Emilia approach in Reggio Emilia, Italy. He wrote an child.Everyonedevelopsanimageofthechildthroughtheiramazing poem called The Hundred Languages, and the phrase experiences as part of a community and culture, as well as throughhascometoembodyanimportantaspectoftheReggio what they have been taught both in school and at home (Dahlberg,approach: that spoken verbal language is only one of a hundred Moss, & Pence, 1999; Lancy, 2008). differentlanguagesthatchildren(andadults)canuseto When we intentionally reflect on and refine our own image of thecommunicate.child, replacing and updating outdated or ineffective ideas that weThe child hasmight have absorbed from our own childhood experiences or froma hundred languagesjustexistinginaflawedhumansocietywithotherflawedhumana hundred handsbeings, we can be and become a someone who supports the childsa hundred thoughtshealthy development more effectively. We can connect with thema hundred ways of thinkingand cocreate dialogues that dont inadvertently teach them that theyof playing, of speakingare unworthy, incapable, unimportant, or only important for fulfilling aA hundred always a hundred.role in relation to others. When we invite an infant or child into dialogue, we can be open to We can curate our own image of the child so that our interactionsany and all of the hundred ways that infant or child might respond. with them intentionally teach them that their worth is enduring andWe know that people have diverse modes of learning and independent of other peoples responses to them or anything elsecommunicating, but its easy to forget that just because infants and externaltothem,whichprovidesasolidfoundationforlifelongchildren do not have full command of spoken language yet (and mental health and resilience. Reviewing and revising our image of theeven after they do), they can and do enjoy using a hundred ways to childisalifetimecommitment,likeanyotheraspectofantibiascommunicate with us, and with each other, in meaningful dialogue. professional practice. A newborn who watches their someone move around a room is It is not a one-time project, but its worth the effort because whilecommunicating through eye movements and sharing their interest in people may not be consciously aware of the image they hold or evenwhat their someone is doing. A child who dances through the room recognize the beliefs and assumptions that are part of their image ofis sharing their joyful exuberance about life.the child, the child is always aware of their someones image of theWhen we intentionally look for the hundred languages, they appear child and all of its implications. The child will carry with them a self-left, right, and center, and we wonder how we possibly missed them concept that fulfills the expectations of their someones throughoutbefore. theirentirelife.Nopressure,right?Justrememberthatbeingsensitive and responsive to the childs needs, which is not necessarilyA sensitive and responsive someone who is curating the environment the same as always giving them what they want or ask for, and beingcan also provide opportunities for, and actively encourage and open to reviewing our own biases are the key steps to providing anrespond to, communication through many avenues with infants and environment where the child can flourish and acquire a healthy self-children of all agesand with other adults too. concept and emotional resilience to last a lifetime. DANIELLE BUJNAK Danielle Bujnak is an experienced Early Childhood Educator with more than two decades of experience guiding andcaring for infants, children, and their families in a wide variety of settings. Danielle has been a nanny, governess, andMaster Newborn Care Specialist, as well as a teacher for children of all ages. She has supported families in privatefamily residences, through homeschooling, daycare, preschools, and Montessori and Waldorf-based early childhoodprograms. Her California Child Development Permit qualifies her at the Master Teacher and Site Supervisor levels,licensing her to run a multi-classroom preschool or daycare for infants and children, and to guide and mentor otherteachers in best practices. After completing a graduate-level certificate in Early Childhood Education, Danielle iscurrently completing an MSc in childrens mental health and special education, following the Constructivist approach.'