Reggio Emilia-inspired learning
Nookly vs Reggio Children Resources vs a Documentation Journal: Following an Idea
Nookly Team · 6 min read
Your son has been obsessed with puddles for two weeks. He jumps in them, measures them with a stick, and asks where they go when the sun comes out. You've been reading about Reggio Emilia-inspired learning and want to follow his idea well. But how?
You could study the approach itself through resources from the people most connected to it. You could keep your own documentation journal, recording what he says and does. Or you could use a tool to help you plan the next invitation. These aren't really rivals. They do three very different jobs.
TL;DR: who wins where?
- Reggio Children resources win for authoritative understanding. Reggio Children offers prepared professional development, including on-demand webinars by theme, such as documentation and the hundred languages. They’re adult study, not an app.
- A documentation journal wins as your own direct record of what your child said, did and made, kept by the person who was actually there.
- Nookly wins when you want help planning a tailored next invitation — a story, provocation cards or a documentation page — around what you observed.
Most families will lean on the journal most of all, with the other two in supporting roles.
Three jobs, not three rivals
Learning about the approach, observing your child and planning what to offer next are all part of following an idea. Reggio Children's resources help with the first. Your journal is the second. Nookly can help with the third.
A word on expectations. Following a child's idea doesn't mean every afternoon becomes a project. Some ideas last an hour; some last a month. Your job is mostly to notice which is which, and to keep a little space open for the ones that last.
Reggio Children resources: learning from the source
Reggio Children is closely connected to the Reggio Emilia Approach, which grew out of the municipal early childhood centres in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Its resources include prepared professional development, with webinars on themes like documentation and the hundred languages of children.
For a parent or educator who wants to understand the ideas deeply, going to the source is valuable. These are for adults to study, not activities for children. And a home family taking inspiration from them isn't running a Reggio Emilia programme, which is worth being honest about.
Many parents find that even reading about the approach changes how they listen at home, which is a wonderful outcome in itself.
A documentation journal: your own record
A simple notebook might be the most useful tool of all. You write down what your child says, sketch what they built, stick in photos or drawings, and date each entry. Over time, you can see an idea develop.
The strength is that it's direct. You were there. You heard him say "the puddle is hiding in the sky." No tool can replace that observation. The limitation is that a journal records; it doesn't suggest what to offer next.
Where Nookly fits
Nookly is a tool for adults to create learning pieces for one child. For Reggio-inspired families, it's most useful after you've observed, when you're wondering what invitation to offer next.
Here's where Nookly adds something different. You can bring your journal notes: "He's five. He's been jumping in puddles for two weeks. He said 'the puddle is hiding in the sky' and 'this one is deeper than my boot.' He likes measuring with sticks." Nookly can help you make a short story using his own phrase, three open provocation cards ("What happens to a puddle in a tray on the windowsill?"), and a documentation page with spaces for his words and drawings.
Bring your observations and your child's words. Use them to plan; keep the interpreting with you and your child.
You can create a single experience on demand, or set up a personalized learning plan called a Blueprint for an ongoing Goal, a finite plan that you can adjust as the idea evolves.
A quick example. Your notebook says: Monday, jumped in puddles, said "the puddle is hiding in the sky." Tuesday, measured three puddles with a stick. Wednesday, asked where puddles go. You bring those notes to Nookly and plan an invitation: a tray of water on the windowsill, a marker to draw the waterline each morning, and a short story using his phrase. Then you step back and watch.
On Saturday, he notices the line has moved and shouts "it's hiding!" You write it down. The loop begins again.
Using them together
Study a webinar on documentation. Keep your journal as your child explores. When you're ready to offer something new, bring your notes to Nookly and plan the next invitation. Then go back to observing.
It's a loop: observe, reflect, offer, observe again.
It's also worth saying that none of these is required. Plenty of families follow their child's ideas beautifully with nothing more than attention and a few materials. Tools and resources are there to support that attention, not replace it.
How to choose
If you want to understand the Reggio Emilia Approach properly, start with Reggio Children's resources. If you want to follow your child's idea, keep a journal, always. If you'd like help turning your observations into a tailored next invitation, that's where Nookly helps.
Whatever you use, keep your child's own words at the centre. Their phrases are the best guide to what they're thinking, and reading them back shows them their ideas are valued.
A Saturday with shadows
Picture this. On Saturday morning your four-year-old notices her hand makes a shadow on the wall. You write down what she says: "It's getting bigger when I come close." That's your journal entry. On Sunday you add a torch, some tracing paper and a question: "Can you make your shadow smaller?" Afterwards, you look at the drawings together and ask what surprised her. Three small moves: notice, offer, revisit.
A sample request
"My three-year-old keeps lining up pebbles by size. She said 'this one is the daddy' and 'the baby is lost.' Make a short picture story about a pebble family using her words, two open invitations with clay and leaves, and a documentation page with space for photos and her quotes." Read it, gather the pebbles, and keep your journal handy.
Side by side
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Reggio Children resources | Documentation journal | Nookly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | Authoritative professional learning about the approach | Your direct record of your child’s words and work | Planning a tailored next invitation after you observe |
| Who it’s for | Adults studying the approach | The adult observing, shared with the child | The adult planning for one child |
| Personal context | General to the approach | Entirely your child | Built from your notes and your child’s words |
| Formats | Webinars and professional resources | Notes, sketches, photos | Stories, provocation cards, documentation pages |
| Documentation | Taught as a practice | Is the documentation | A page the adult can fill in |
| What it isn’t | Not a children’s app | Not a planner | Not a certified Reggio programme |
Descriptions checked September 28, 2026 from public Reggio Children pages. Nookly isn’t affiliated with Reggio Children.
Heard a “Look!” today? Write it down, then plan the next invitation around it.
Sources checked September 28, 2026: Reggio Children, the Reggio Emilia Approach; Reggio Children, webinars on demand. Nookly isn't affiliated with or endorsed by the organizations named.
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