Fundamentals: Tribute to Lella Gandini
A Tribute to Lella Gandini, an obituary published by Daily Hampshire Gazette, June 21, 2025
Northampton, MA - It is with deep sadness that we mark the passing of Elena (Lella) Gandini Little, a renowned educator, author, and tireless advocate for early childhood education, who died on June 16, 2025, in Northampton, Massachusetts, at the age of 90. Lella's work profoundly shaped educational practices in North America and beyond, primarily through her commitment to the model developed in the city of Reggio Emilia in Italy.
Lella was born in Tregnago, Italy on July 3, 1934. She moved from Italy to the United States in 1972 when she married distinguished historian Lester K. Little, now Professor Emeritus at Smith College. Their dedicated partnership helped them maintain strong ties and important influence in both countries, in part through their leadership of the American Academy in Rome from 1999 to 2006.
Lella earned a B.A. and M.A. at Smith College and an Ed.D. at the University of Massachusetts. Her doctoral work included a dissertation on children's bedtime rituals, exploring the "historical background of traditions (lullabies) and devices (swaddling clothes, cradles) to ease and facilitate the going to sleep of infants and young children" and the "rituals of separation at bedtime." She also conducted comparative studies, noting that in the U.S., book reading was more prevalent for bedtime transitions, while in Italy, storytelling, lullabies, or lying beside the child were more common.
In the 1970s Lella published several books for children in Italy, focusing mainly on traditional nursery rhymes and fairy tales. As she became familiar with schools and childcare centers in the U.S., she realized that many of the practices that she observed did not correspond to the child development theories she had studied that placed value on relationships and learning. Thus she began to bring visual materials and documented stories from Pistoia and Reggio Emilia to present and publish in the U.S., to help educators open new possibilities both for children and for their own profession.
In 1976, Lella began collaborating closely with Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia approach. Lella became Malaguzzi's trusted translator during his pivotal visits to the U.S. She served as United States Liaison for the Dissemination of the Reggio Emilia approach, and as Associate Editor of the journal, Innovations in Early Childhood Education, which dedicated a special issue to her accomplishments in 2023.
Lella championed the Reggio view of children and teachers as endowed with strong potential, ready to engage in relationships, listen, and learn together. She highlighted the teacher's role as a "researcher in collaboration with colleagues," and stressed the importance of relationships among children, teachers, and the environment, which is considered the "third teacher." Her work underscored the "hundred languages of children" – their diverse ways of expressing thoughts and theories through drawing, sculpting, storytelling, dramatic play, and other forms of creativity. She also promoted the idea that nothing in school should happen without joy. Lella observed and shared instances of children's playful discoveries, demonstrating how deeply trusting teachers can spark children's learning.
Lella taught at the University of Massachusetts, Lesley College, and Smith College and served as a Visiting Scholar at Lesley University from 2008. Her honors include an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the Erikson Institute (2004) and the Smith College Medal for Distinguished Alumnae (2008). Among her publications for educators, the best known is The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education, which has been translated into at least 26 languages across at least 145 countries.
Lella's collaborations with Cathy Topal at the Smith Fort Hill School and Center for Early Childhood Education culminated in their co-authored Beautiful Stuff books and many influential teaching workshops. Her close friendship with beloved local children's author Eric Carle further underscored her appreciation for the intersection of art and early learning.
