Originating from a city in northern Italy, the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education has been adopted by multiple countries in recent decades. This approach has a fundamental philosophy: children should play a leading role in education. Children are seen as full of knowledge and intelligence, with full capacity to express themselves if only they are given the appropriate ways to do so. They are the protagonists of their own learning and have a say in what topics and problems they will study and research. Teachers provide resources for the learning and development of the children they look after. The curriculum is emergent, meaning that teachers choose topics and projects based on careful listening and observation of their students' interests, needs, and questions. Children are encouraged to use materials and media to demonstrate their learning and understanding of a topic or project. Documentation and the environment have a direct influence in helping children's learning. Parents and the community also play a supportive role in children's education (OECD, 2004). Te Whᾱriki is New Zealand's early childhood curriculum, developed in 1996. Compared to the Reggio Emilia Approach, they have similarities in that they focus on children's interests; develop children's learning through interaction in relationships with others, underline the importance of the environment and the active response of adults. They also differ in many aspects, such as the role of the teacher, cultural background, documentation and evaluation. The support of the community and parents is considered a precious and vital part of the Reggio Emilia system. The exchange of ideas between parents and teachers is essential and favors the development of a new way of educating. The approach encourages interaction and communication… middle of the paper… both focus on family and community. The wider world of family and community is an integral part of the early childhood curriculum Te Whᾱriki (1996). It is also stated that parental inclusion and support and community connection are important for children's learning process. Furthermore, Te Whᾱriki states that “parents and caregivers have a wealth of valuable information and understanding about their children” (30). Third, both approaches focus on educators to provide encouragement, warmth, and acceptance. They also provide challenges for learning and creative and complex thinking, helping children to extend their ideas and actions through sensitive, informed and well-evaluated interventions and support. The Te Whᾱriki principles emphasize that “children learn through responsive, reciprocal relationships with people, places and things” (p.. 14).