This paper examines the preschool programs of the Reggio Emilia region of Northern Italy, describing the role of Loris Malaguzzi in the founding of the municipal preschools in the region after the Second World War and discussing the theoretical and philosophical basis of the child-centered, developmentally appropriate, art-centered Reggio Emilia approach. The administrative infrastructure, the facility and environment, the faculty, and emergent curriculum of the infant/toddler centers and preschools are examined, along with the role that parents play in the education of their children. The world-wide impact of the Reggio Emilia approach to preschool education is analyzed (more than 10,000 visitors have come to Reggio Emilia from all over the world to visit its preschools since 1979). The implications of the approach for early childhood education in the United States is discussed, centering on two areas of concern in the United States--the appropriateness of both full-day care and academic programs for preschoolers. Areas of agreement between Reggio Emilia and American practices are listed, along with areas in which Reggio presents a challenge to American views of early childhood education. An appendix describes 11 student projects undertaken in Reggio Emilia preschools and in American preschools using the Reggio Emilia Approach. (Contains 19 references.) (MDM)