Reggio Emilia, named for the northern Italian province famous for its production of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shares its name with an Italian teaching style gaining steam in early learning classrooms nationwide. KLA schools, a quickly expanding franchise, point to Reggio — for short — as a child-focused alternative to traditional curricula.

“There’s no right or wrong way to do it. We try to meet the child’s needs and make it fun. This is their first foray into learning, and we’re setting that stage. We don’t just teach specific information, we teach how to love learning,” said Gillian Gavurin, teacher turned director of operations at Kids Learning Adventure (KLA) Schools in Miami. They serve children from 6 weeks old up to 6 years old, with a pilot elementary school in the making.