Lella Gandini early childhood and children's folklore collection
Collection Scope and Content Note
The Lella Gandini early childhood and children’s folklore collection contains research notes, presentations, reference materials, journal and magazine articles, and other documents created or used by Lella Gandini throughout her career in early childhood education. The bulk of the materials are from Gandini’s research between 1978 and 1996. Documents in this collection are in various languages, including English, Italian, Spanish, and French; materials in languages other than English will be denoted in brackets in the Contents List section of this finding aid.
The Lella Gandini early childhood and children’s folklore collection is arranged into three series, one of which has been further divided into subseries. The materials are housed in 23 archival document boxes and one oversized folder.
Dates
- Creation: 1645-2016
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1970-2000
Creator
- Gandini, Lella (Teacher, Person)
Language
Documents in this collection are in various languages, including English, Italian, Spanish, and French. Materials in languages other than English will be denoted in the Contents List section of this finding aid.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection is open for research use by staff of The Strong and by users of its library and archives. Though the donor has not transferred intellectual property rights (including, but not limited to any copyright, trademark, and associated rights therein) to The Strong, she has given permission for The Strong to make copies in all media for museum, educational, and research purposes.
Biographical Note
Lella Gandini (Elena Gandini Little), EdD, is the United States Liaison for the Dissemination of the Reggio Emilia Approach. She has been in the early childhood education field for nearly four decades.
Gandini attended traditional schools in her native Italy and developed an interest in progressive education. In 1976, Gandini began collaborating on articles in Zerosei magazine, directed by Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia approach. Fluent in both Italian and English, Gandini studied at Smith College in Massachusetts, receiving her Master’s degree in child study. She earned her EdD from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1988 with a dissertation on children’s bedtime rituals. Gandini also compared studies of children’s learning environments in Italy and America, presenting these observations at conferences and in scholarly articles. She conducted research, taught, and consulted on various childhood development topics. Gandini authored many articles and book chapters; she served as the co-editor on the comprehensive title Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education (1993).
Gandini specializes in early childhood education, bedtime rituals, children’s fears, folklore, nursery rhymes, and parent-teacher-child relationships.
Extent
13.5 Linear Feet (30 document boxes and 2 oversize folders)
Abstract
The Lella Gandini early childhood and children’s folklore collection are a compilation of research notes, presentations, scholarly articles, and other documents created or used by Lella Gandini throughout her education career.
System of Arrangement
Series I: Research and reference materials, 1645-2014
Subseries A: Folklore, fairy tales, and nursery rhymes
Subseries B: Bedtime environments and rituals
Subseries C: Children and fashion
Subseries D: Children’s fears
Subseries E: History of childhood
Subseries F: Other research and reference materials
Subseries G:Preschool programs
Series II: Professional development documents, c. 1970s-2016
Series III: Selected publications, 1971-2012
Custodial History
The Lella Gandini early childhood and children’s folklore collection was donated to The Strong in three shipments (one each in November 2012, September 2013, and March 2015) as a gift from Lella Gandini, also known as Elena Gandini Little. The papers were received from Gandini and accessioned by The Strong under Object IDs 112.6693, 114.31, and 115.470. (The 2012 and 2013 accessions also included more than 300 books on childhood and children’s folklore from Gandini.)
Accruals
In August 2016 and July 2017 a fourth and fifth donation of materials related to the Reggio Emilia method were received and accessioned under Object IDs 116.2598 and 117.3440.
Materials in the accrual were added at the end of the existing collection. The folders were kept in the original order, arranged alphabetically by location.
Processed by
Julia Novakovic, 2016. Updated by Laura Boland in 2024.
Subject
- University of Massachusetts (Amherst campus) (Organization)
- Smith College (Organization)
- Edwards, Carolyn P. (Person)
Topical
- Bedtime
- Child care -- Italy
- Child care -- United States
- Child development
- Early childhood education -- Italy
- Early childhood education -- Philosophy
- Early childhood education -- United States
- Education, Preschool
- Fables
- Fashion -- History
- Fear in children -- Study and teaching
- Folklore and Children
- Reggio Emilia approach (Early childhood education)
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Lella Gandini Early Childhood and Children's Folklore Collection, 1645-2012
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Julia Novakovic
- Date
- 25 February 2016. Updated October 2024.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Revision Statements
- 24 February 2016: Orig. January 2014; revised to add 2015 accession lot.
- 31 October 2024: Two accession lots added.
Repository Details
Part of the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play at The Strong Repository
The Strong
One Manhattan Square
Rochester NY 14607 USA
585.263.2700
585.423.1886 (Fax)
library@museumofplay.org