▁and ▁inst itute ▁run ▁by ▁government . ▁ ▁Italy ▁ ▁In ▁Italy , ▁pr esch ool ▁education ▁refers ▁to ▁two ▁different ▁gr ades : ▁ ▁Nur ser y ▁schools , ▁called ▁ ▁for ▁children ▁between ▁ 3 ▁and ▁ 3 6 ▁months ; ▁ ▁Mat ernal ▁schools ▁formerly ▁ ▁and ▁now ▁, ▁for ▁children ▁ 3 ▁to ▁ 5 ▁years ▁old . ▁ ▁Italian ▁ ▁were ▁officially ▁instit uted ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁State ▁Law ▁( L . ▁ 1 0 4 4 / 1 9 7 1 ), ▁and ▁may ▁be ▁ruled ▁by ▁either ▁private ▁or ▁public ▁institutions . ▁They ▁were ▁originally ▁established ▁to ▁allow ▁moth ers ▁a ▁chance ▁to ▁work ▁out ▁of ▁their ▁homes , ▁and ▁were ▁therefore ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁social ▁service . ▁Today , ▁they ▁mostly ▁serve ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁general ▁education ▁and ▁social ▁interaction . ▁In ▁Italy , ▁much ▁effort ▁has ▁been ▁spent ▁on ▁developing ▁a ▁ped agog ical ▁approach ▁to ▁children ' s ▁care : ▁well ▁known ▁is ▁the ▁so - called ▁Reg gio ▁Em ilia ▁approach , ▁named ▁after ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Reg gio ▁Em ilia , ▁in ▁Em ilia - R om agna . ▁▁ ▁normally ▁occup y ▁small ▁one - story ▁buildings , ▁surrounded ▁by ▁gard ens ; ▁usually ▁suitable ▁for ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁ 6 0 ▁or ▁ 7 0 ▁children . ▁The ▁heart ▁of ▁the ▁ ▁are ▁the ▁class rooms , ▁split ▁into ▁play room ▁and ▁rest room ; ▁the ▁play room ▁always ▁has ▁windows ▁and ▁doors ▁leading ▁to