Dahlberg's approach differs from traditional methods in several key ways:
Image of the child: Dahlberg views children as competent co-constructors of knowledge, not passive recipients of information.
Quality assessment: She challenges standardised quality measures, advocating for contextual understanding instead.
Documentation: Dahlberg emphasises pedagogical documentation as a tool for reflection and meaning-making, not just record-keeping.
Environment: Learning environments are seen as flexible spaces that children can modify, rather than fixed, adult-designed areas.
These differences encourage a more collaborative, reflective approach to early childhood education (Dahlberg et al., 2013).