Nurturing Children’s Curiosity: Implementing the Emergent Curriculum in Early Childhood Settings

Nurturing Children’s Curiosity: Implementing the Emergent Curriculum in Early Childhood Settings

Mariana Alamango is a mother of a 13-year-old son and has been an early year’s educator for the past 15 years; 7 years as a childcare educator and the rest as a kindergarten educator. She is currently in her fifth year of the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Early Childhood Education and Care at the University of Malta, where she continues to nurture her passion for creating meaningful learning experiences and supporting young children in their growth and well-being. Mariana firmly believes that learning is a lifelong journey; there is always room for growth and improvement. Her work, after her family, is her life. It is her passion and vocation. She is committed to researching, reflecting, and implementing new strategies to provide the best possible experiences for her students.

Mariana believes that each child is a person in their own right, with endless imagination, capabilities, wonder, and intuition; each following their own unique path and expressing themselves in their "hundred languages." She is deeply inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy and by Loris Malaguzzi’s vision of the child as a central protagonist in learning, with the environment serving as the third teacher, alongside his other core principles and beliefs. Though her path has had challenges, especially advocating for the emergent curriculum before it became more recognised in Malta, she has persevered, driven by the growth and flourishing of the children in her care. For Mariana, even inspiring one parent or one educator is immensely rewarding, because it means that, in some way, her work is making a meaningful difference and a child’s learning and well-being has been positively impacted.