Childhood is not a race

Childhood is not a race. It is a journey filled with curiosity, wonder and possibility.

At Woodleigh, we hold firm in our belief that young people should not be hurried through these precious years, but instead be given the space to explore, play and grow in their own time. 

Childhood is sacred, a time of discovery and delight and as parents and educators, our role is to guide, nurture and support the young ones in our care, not to rush them through or over-structure.

Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, speaks of the ‘hundred languages of children’. His work is a powerful reminder that children express themselves in infinite ways – through art, music, storytelling, movement, even during quiet reflection, every child has a voice, a way of understanding the world, and a deep well of imagination. 

At Woodleigh, we lean into this philosophy; we don’t see children as empty vessels, needing to be filled with knowledge and information. We view the children in our care as valuable co-contributors to their learning and our job is to honour their voices, to listen deeply and provide opportunities for them to flourish.

Young people are sponges, absorbing everything around them, especially the actions of their parents – their words, actions and the pace of their lives. They watch as their grown-ups hurry from one task to the next and they take on that sense of urgency. Conversely, they also notice when we slow down, savour a moment and allow them the time to simply be. 

At Woodleigh, we embrace these still moments as part of the richness of childhood. We believe in the value of play, the joy of deep inquiry, the magic of storytelling and the importance of unhurried learning. We see each child as a capable, competent and creative individual and we celebrate their journey with patience and care.

Parents, as your child’s first and most important teacher, your presence and willingness to let them take their time are gifts beyond measure. Let’s walk this journey together, cherishing childhood for the fleeting and extraordinary season that it is.

No way, the hundred is there – Loris Malaguzzi

The child
is made of one hundred.
The child has
a hundred languages
a hundred hands
a hundred thoughts
a hundred ways of thinking
of playing, of speaking.
A hundred always a hundred
ways of listening
of marvelling of loving
a hundred joys
for singing and understanding
a hundred worlds
to discover
a hundred worlds
to invent
a hundred worlds
to dream.
The child has
a hundred languages
(and a hundred hundred hundred more)
but they steal ninety-nine.

The school and the culture
separate the head from the body.
They tell the child:
to think without hands
to do without head
to listen and not to speak
to understand without joy
to love and to marvel
only at Easter and Christmas.
They tell the child:
to discover the world already there
and of the hundred
they steal ninety-nine.
They tell the child:
that work and play
reality and fantasy
science and imagination
sky and earth
reason and dream
are things
that do not belong together.

And thus they tell the child
that the hundred is not there.
The child says:
No way. The hundred is there.