In ChildFriendly Pro's 2025 Director Lunch & Learn, child care operator Krystal Churcher explained that centers can blend philosophies by matching them to children's needs: Montessori-inspired activities bring focus for children who thrive on structure and repetition, Reggio Emilia brings creativity, emergent curriculum brings curiosity, and Alberta's FLIGHT framework brings belonging.
What the session covered
Learning philosophies and frameworks give a child care program a shared language for teaching and learning and the intention behind daily practice. In this Director Lunch & Learn, hosted by the Association of Child Care Entrepreneurs (ACE) and sponsored by ChildFriendly Pro, Krystal Churcher gave a high-level, practical comparison of four approaches: Montessori, Reggio Emilia, emergent curriculum, and FLIGHT, Alberta's early learning and care framework. Churcher stated that she is not specially trained in any of the approaches, but has blended components of each in her own center's curriculum for 14 years. For each approach she covered the core beliefs, supporting materials, the children and behaviors it tends to support, and two low-cost activities using materials most centers already have. A participant from a privately run center not enrolled in CWELCC raised that some parents now search for terms like Montessori or Reggio as signals of quality. Churcher cautioned that centers using these terms in marketing need to understand and be able to explain and implement them.
What is the difference between Montessori, Reggio Emilia and emergent curriculum?
Churcher summarized Montessori as the belief that children are eager to learn when offered independence, order and freedom within limits, captured in the phrase "help me do it myself." Educators model the work and step back. Materials include practical life tools, child-sized tools, dressing frames, cylinders, nesting blocks and counting rods on low shelves in calm, orderly rooms. Reggio Emilia views children as capable, curious citizens who co-construct knowledge with educators and families. It emphasizes the hundred languages of children, documentation that makes learning visible, and the environment as the third teacher, using open-ended materials such as sensory bins, blocks, role-play props and nature collections. Emergent curriculum grows directly from children's interests: educators observe curiosity, plans shift daily, and learning is child-led. A participant with Montessori Level 1 training added that the clearest practical difference is materials: Montessori centers on practical life trays such as cleaning a table or caring for plants, while emergent programs are more free-flowing and follow observed interests.
What are the goals and steps of Alberta's FLIGHT framework?
Churcher stressed that FLIGHT is a framework, not a curriculum, a distinction she said is often misunderstood in the sector. It is value-based, recognizes children as mighty learners and citizens, and is relational, reflective and inclusive rather than prescriptive. Educators shift from instructor to learning partner and co-learner, play is central to learning, and development is supported holistically across mind, body and spirit. Supporting materials include loose parts and open-ended materials, documentation tools such as photos, portfolios and displays, comfort items such as family photos and cozy corners, diverse expression media, and books reflecting multiple cultures and languages. Churcher described four reflective implementation steps: observe and listen, co-construct by extending learning from children's interests, reflect and document what matters and why, and connect with families by sharing stories and inviting their input. She listed four goals as she presented them: well-being, including emotional security, health and belonging; play and playfulness; participation and citizenship; and communication and literacies, honoring many ways of expression.
Which children benefit from each approach?
Churcher's method for blending is to start from the children and the behaviors a group needs support with, then plan activities from the matching approach. Montessori-inspired activities suit children who prefer structure, order and repetition, and support concentration, self-regulation, fine motor refinement, independence and persistence; a child who enjoys pouring water repeatedly is an example. Reggio-inspired activities suit expressive, imaginative and social children who enjoy collaboration, supporting creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, communication and empathy; a child fascinated by shadows might inspire a group project with flashlights, drawing and storytelling. Emergent activities suit spontaneous, curious children who are engaged by novelty and support initiative, exploration, flexible thinking and collaboration; children excited by ants outdoors might find a bug exploration corner the next day. FLIGHT supports representation, inclusion and voice. In practice, Churcher's center plans more Montessori-style activities when it sees children thriving on predictable structure, while another group may run creative, emergent experiences in parallel.
Philosophy-by-philosophy activities and uses from the session
| Time | Key point | What centers should do |
|---|---|---|
| 03:56 | Montessori: independence, order and freedom within limits; "help me do it myself." | Use low shelves, child-sized real tools and calm, orderly spaces; model, then step back. |
| 06:43 | Montessori activities: practical life pouring and object sorting. | Set out pitchers, cups and sponges, or shells and buttons to sort, focusing on order, not speed. |
| 08:14 | Reggio Emilia: hundred languages of children, visible documentation, environment as third teacher. | Add open-ended materials and interest-based props, such as magnifying glasses for a bug theme. |
| 10:21 | Reggio activities: shadow play exploration and a collaborative art mural. | Offer flashlights, light tables and transparent objects; record children's drawings and dialogue. |
| 11:35 | Emergent curriculum grows from children's interests; plans shift daily. | Observe curiosity and build the next day's experiences around it. |
| 13:51 | Emergent activities: bug hunt adventure and water play science. | Provide clipboards and magnifiers; add float and sink objects and ask children to predict. |
| 15:20 | Churcher: FLIGHT is a value-based framework, not a curriculum; educators are co-learners. | Shift staff from instructor to learning partner; keep play central. |
| 16:55 | Churcher: FLIGHT implementation: observe and listen, co-construct, reflect and document, connect with families. | Build the four reflective steps into planning and family communication. |
| 18:28 | Churcher: Montessori brings focus, Reggio creativity, emergent curiosity, FLIGHT belonging; they can be mixed. | Match approaches to the needs and behaviors of each group of children. |
| 23:56 | Churcher: using Montessori or Reggio as marketing terms requires real understanding. | Train staff to explain and implement any philosophy the center names to parents. |
How ChildFriendly Pro automates this
The session described educators planning and documenting by hand across several approaches; at 19:13 Wayne Chen of ChildFriendly Pro announced a learning module with FLIGHT preloaded, customizable curriculums, shareable lesson plans, daily progress tied to journals and a calendar, which is now part of ChildFriendly Pro's classroom and learning tools for frameworks, portfolios and lesson plans.
Next steps
- Register for the next Director Lunch & Learn on curriculum and operations
- Child care curriculum planning with learning frameworks, portfolios and lesson plans
- Free Educator Prompt Cards: Explore, Create, Build
- Book a ChildFriendly Pro demo
