“The Reggio Emilia Approach is an educational philosophy based on the image of the child, and of human beings, as possessing strong potentials for development and as a subject of rights who learns and grows in the relationships with others.
This global educational project, which is carried forth in the Municipal Infant-toddler Centers and Preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, and has inspired other schools all over the world, is based on a number of distinctive characteristics: the participation of families, the collegial work of all the personnel, the importance of the educational environment, the presence of the atelier and the figure of the atelierista, the in-school kitchen, and the pedagogical coordinating team. Focusing on the centrality of the hundred languages belonging to every human being, in the atelier spaces young children are offered daily opportunities to encounter many types of materials, many expressive languages, many points of view, working actively with hands, minds, and emotions, in a context that values the expressiveness and creativity of each child in the group.” https://www.reggiochildren.it/identita/reggio-emilia-approach/?lang=en Reggio Emilia is a region in Italy and this name of teaching refers purely to these schools, however many practitioners are now turning to Reggio approaches in their own classrooms. This approach is very much child led and individual to both the wider community and also the smaller community – that being the children in your cohort. For this reason there is no, one typical ‘Reggio Emilia’ style. The fundamentals are that children are supported to become independent, be good communicators and that children have some control over their own learning and be able to create and develop their own learning. This is similar to an approach that any Philosophy for Children classroom will want to adopt as we create critical and creative thinkers in all areas – allowing them to have control over the activities they do and the resources they use with nothing that is in reach being out of bounds. In Reggio Emilia there is a heavy emphasis on the many different ways children might communicate their learning, in particular through artistic methods such as role play, art and music. The environment should be simple, beautiful and free from clutter. Much like in philosophy for children, the adult is seen as less of a teacher and more of a facilitator – like the Socrates comparison of a ‘midwife’ (helping children to birth the ideas and learning that are already inside them) and a ‘gadfly’ (pushing children with challenges and problems to solve). One of the core beliefs of this approach is that children form their own personality and knowledge in their very early years and communicate this through ‘a hundred languages’, by which they mean that they show this in everything they do – from play to art to dance to music to speech. Children should have endless ways in which to express themselves and endless materials available with which to do so. In your philosophy for children classroom you can offer this with indoor and outdoor opportunities to make music, listen to music, make large and small scale art, observational drawings, junk modelling, ephemeral art and deconstructed role play. You could even set up your own atelier (art studio) which makes the most of natural lighting, beautiful resources and conscious use of space. As a practitioner you can embrace both a Reggio style and a philosophy for children approach by spending high quality time with each child as you get to know all of their personal quirks, interests, loves and idiosyncrasies.
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For most practitioners working in Early Years there will have been a time when the word 'Montessori' popped into your consciousness. Maybe in your training or maybe hearing a colleague mention the word. Then follows a quick Google search and mini panic (or was that just me?). Is this something I should be doing? Is it new and revolutionary? Is it 1970s hippy claptrap? Am I already a Montessori teacher without knowing it? What's the big deal all about?
As the name may suggest to you, Maria Montessori was the creator of what we now call the Montessori approach. In answer to some of the above questions she was neither a 1970s free-loving hippy nor a 21st century blogging pioneer. She was in fact a medically trained Italian doctor who died at age 82 in 1952 (so for those of you who can't be bothered with a spot of maths whilst sat in your jammies drinking your morning coffee - she was born way back in the 1800s!) She specialised in scientific pedagogy and in particular studying and supporting "phrenasthenic" children (children who nowadays we would refer to as children with Special Educational Needs). Most of her research was based in the classroom and so her opinions on a holistic approach to learning for all children soon became a teaching method in its own right. Over the following years Maria travelled the world establishing schools and lecturing in her approach. So how did an approach first named the Montessori Approach in 1912 survive and thrive to still be popular and (on occasion) seen as daring and revolutionary over 100 years later? Well it was given a hand by Maria's many published works and the 4000 schools she established in her lifetime. There are now Montessori schools throughout the world focussing on ages 3-6 years (though some schools have older children too). The main drive for the schools is that an emphasis is placed on process not result, learning is child centred not teacher controlled and children are taught to do things for internal reward not external reward. The Montessori 'Approach' is actually quite a simple and instinctive approach once you learn a bit more about it. Maria Montessori believed that all children were inherently good and connected to nature and the world around them, much as we do when we look at a child as being born with a natural curiosity. She proposed that there were times in each child's life when they became more sensitive to certain types of learning (periods of order, refinement of senses, language acquisition, walking and movement, small objects and involvement in social life). Practitioners could tune into which period a child was in by observing their play and so be able to support their learning. As we have already seen, that is something we do when we are building philosophical thinkers form birth. She found that children learnt through their senses and enjoyed working with beautiful materials and resources. She felt that children became dynamic learners by being allowed to follow their natural impulses. Philosophy for children fits well with this idea as we allow children to follow their own ideas and train of thoughts, never telling them that their thoughts are silly or wrong during our philosophical chats. The role of the teacher (or 'Director') in a Montessori school is to be un-obstrusive during play and to guide, rather than control, learning, directing children's natural curiosities and energies. Again this is similar to a philosophy for children approach to being a practitioner (or facilitator). Children find it easy and natural to learn from older children so in most Montessori schools children are not separated by age. In P4C sessions learning is differentiated by questioning, modelling and scaffolding learning for each individual during play or focussed sessions and not by having separate ability groups. Montessori believed that young children work for the joy of the process not the end result which was why many children enjoy repeating the same activity over and over again. Again Philosophy for Children is a good fit as philosophy sessions never seek to find the ‘real’ answer but rather to encourage and celebrate the process of thinking and talking through different ideas, opinions and imagined scenarios. In both Montessori schools and P4C classrooms, children are seen as natural learners who want to explore the world. The results that children enjoy are the ones that make them feel good about themselves or their abilities. We help them to do this by listening, valuing their thoughts and ideas and entering into high quality interactions with them. If they are taught that there is always a right and a wrong result or answer then they will no longer enjoy the process or want to take risks. Although there are various parts of the Montessori approach that do not fit exactly with the Philosophy for Children approach, I have not looked at those here – they are minimal though, you can see that philosophy for children and the Montessori approach are not worlds apart. If you are going to plan your own philosophy enquiries then it is important that you make sure that your question truly is a philosophical one.
It may be worth noting here, however, that some questions for this age group do not necessarily need to be truly philosophical. Firstly because you may be focussing on building a specific skill in a session and so it may be easier to do this with less philosophical questions. Secondly because a 3-5 year old has an entirely different view on the world, and a different bank of knowledge, to a 10 year old. For example, you could not use the question “What are clouds made of?” or “Are scary things always bad?” for a philosophical enquiry for 10 year olds. They would pretty quickly be able to Google you an answer to the first question and say “no”, possibly accompanied by a scathing look, to the second. But to a 4 year old those questions are philosophical ones. When it comes to Philosophy for Children (as opposed to actual philosophy in the adult world) whether a question is philosophical or not depends entirely on your audience so don’t worry too much about whether the questions you choose are truly philosophical and instead base it on your knowledge of the children in your class. Some of the questions I have enjoyed using are not truly philosophical, in other words we could say that there is an exact answer that does not need debate, however for a young child who does not know much about the world it is a philosophical question. That said it is good practice for you as a facilitator to begin to identify what a philosophical question is so here is a quick guide.
A quest is a long and arduous search for something, it is a late Middle English word from the Old French queste (noun)/ quester (verb), based on Latin quaerere which meant ‘ask, seek’. Most commonly used as a word for an epic adventure or in a ‘quest for knowledge.’ What better word to describe a philosophical journey? So, I created the QUESTS model to take my class on an epic philosophical journey each week and, even better, do it within the 15 minutes window of time that a 3-5 year old is often able to maintain attention and excitement for an adult led activity. So here is the overview of a QUESTS.
Question This is the starting post of your quest. What do you want to know today? First remind the children of your community guidelines and 4Cs (see Lesson 1 and 2). If you have a prop, like Philosophy Frog, then have the toy pose the question of the day. Make this your big concept question. Don’t worry you can drill down later. See the lesson plans in this book to give you some ideas. See if anyone wants to try an answer to the question straight away. e.g. Are teddies real? Understanding Give some more depth to the question. Explain why you are asking. For example it might be a question that you are wondering about because of a book you have just read aloud or something that happened in class. An example of this might be “I asked if teddies are real. What I mean is, do they come alive when no-one is watching?” Exploring Get the children to vote on the question. For this question the answer will be ‘yes’ or ‘no’. You may have children who say they don’t know. Try to press them for an opinion but if you are getting nowhere then don’t be afraid to add a ‘I’m not ready to decide yet’ option. Methods of voting could be hands up, holding a picture up or anything you can think of. Personally I find that voting with feet works best i.e. go to this side of the room if you think… and that side of you think… I have tried this with Key Workers but the risk is that children will just go to their own Key Worker or the person they like best instead of making a decision. When voting with feet it is often easy to spot the children who copy their friends or the children who are unsure what they think. Once children have chosen their side ask a couple of children from each side to explain why they chose that way. After the voting get everyone to sit back down in the group. It may help to keep children roughly in their group so that you can see who changes their mind as the enquiry goes on. Sharing Now that the group is sitting down again remind them of the initial question. Invite everyone to share their ideas. As you see opportunities introduce new facts or questions. Encourage children to agree or disagree with each other and build on each other’s ideas (however be mindful that this isn’t something that you are likely to see until children are confident philosophisers). In this example a new facts and question might be ‘I thought that our teddy did come alive at night but Mr … said I have never actually seen it happen so it can’t be true. Is he right?” Carry on with the enquiry until you feel it has run its natural course. Thanks Thank everyone for their input and involvement. You may want, at this point, to highlight children who did particularly well or showed progress in their abilities since your last enquiry. Try to link your thanks to your community guidelines or the 4Cs. I have found that a nice way to do this when first starting out is to have two hula hoops in different colours. Select children who have spoken to hold onto one hoop and children who haven’t to hold onto the other. Say “well done to everyone holding the blue hoop. You were critical and creative because you gave answers and thoughts today” “well done to the children holding the red hoop. You were caring and followed our guideline to listen nicely to your friends when they spoke. You all made a decision when you voted too.” Skills (and Concepts) The skills you would like to encourage today and the concepts and key words you might come across during the enquiry So as you can see, the 10 Step Model is a great guide (especially if you read about it fully - remember I just gave a brief overview here as it is not the model we are going to follow). It is a great guide but, for me, it was the cause of a lot of frustration and initial resistance to doing Philosophy for Children. As beginners it was recommended in the Level 1 course that we use the model. The 10 Step Model is great. I am not here to criticise something which clearly works and which gives you a good understanding of what to do, when and why. But what the 10 Step Model did for me, dealing with tiny tots, was confuse me, make me think that P4C was unworkable with small children and, quite frankly, made me feel like I was continually setting both myself and the children up for failure. It was a wasted half hour each week, and even that was after squishing the 10 Step Model so small as to be pointless anyway. If a child doesn’t even understand the difference between opinions, information and questions how can they create their own questions? If it is age appropriate that they are almost entirely egocentric then how can we expect them to care about any other child’s opinion enough to work as a group to come up with a question? While we are at it, how many 4 year olds are capable of instinctively working as a group on a communication and language based task without a heck of a lot of modelling and scaffolding from an adult?
So what happened to change me from a P4C sceptic into someone who liked it enough to attempt to write a book on the subject (how am I doing by the way?)? Basically, what happened was that I had a tantrum. I spat my dummy out, stamped my feet and screamed and screamed till I was sick, or rather I ranted to people about it being ridiculous, knew I had to do it anyway (as we had signed up to several years of P4C as a school) and decided to rebel, spit in the eye of the 10 Step Model and do a half-hearted job of it. In that first session that I decided to do a half-hearted job guess what happened. My Early Years training and experience took the driving seat and lo and behold we had a successful enquiry, despite me feeling a bit guilty that I hadn’t done anything that I was meant to do or anything on my 10 Step Model plan. So I did it again, and again, and before you knew it both myself, the other practitioners in class and the children were actually enjoying doing Philosophy for Children. We had even managed to create our own little routine. Introduce our Philosophy Frog teddy, introduce the stimulus, have a brief reminder of the guidelines for our chat, have a vote, have a chat, job done. Out of this slapdash, partly child-led approach (and isn’t that what Early Years is all about?) we ended up with our own model. When I went on the Level 2 SAPERE course and read a short section relating to Early Years in the course handbook which practically gave permission to shorten the 10 Step Model I almost cheered and it was that point that I finally decided to trust my own knowledge and experience of an age group I knew very well (thank you very much) to create my own model to use in class. The QUEST! A quest is a long and arduous search for something, it is a late Middle English word from the Old French queste (noun)/ quester (verb), based on Latin quaerere which meant ‘ask, seek’. Most commonly used as a word for an epic adventure or in a ‘quest for knowledge.’ What better word to describe a philosophical journey? So, I created the QUESTS model to take my class on an epic philosophical journey each week and, even better, do it within the 15 minutes window of time that a 3-5 year old is often able to maintain attention and excitement for an adult led activity. When I did my Level 1 training, and in the weeks following, I followed what SAPERE call the ’10 Step Model’. What I found was that it was very difficult to do with 3-4 year olds.
understood the 10 Step Model. I understood it was necessary for beginners so that they had a robust plan to follow instead of ending up in random ramblings. The 10 Step Model carefully lays out the start to end process of a philosophical enquiry. The 10 Step Model relies on the participants being at least partly competent in asking and answering questions and able to sit and focus for a long period of time. In other words not 3-5 year olds. The 10 Step Model is the perfect model for older primary children and secondary children. When it came to Early Years? The 10 Step Model (for me) felt unachievable, unworkable and made me feel like I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. It was only when I abandoned the 10 Step Model and, later, when I heard about more flexible approaches in the Level 2 course, that my P4C sessions became fun and effective. For reference here, very briefly, is the 10 Step Model. Even though I don’t find it workable in Early Years it is good to at least keep in mind when planning your own sessions to make sure you stay on track. The 10 Step Model 1. Preparation This is your preparation and planning. Deciding how you will seat the group, the different parts of your enquiry, the stimulus, mode of decision making or voting, whether you are going to have a starter game and what you want to achieve. This is something which is essential whether following the 10 Step Model or the QUESTS model. 2. Presentation of Stimulus Book, item, painting, piece of music, video, whatever… 3. Thinking time Children write down or draw ‘first thoughts’, children respond individually or work in groups, they identify the concepts/big ideas 4. Question -making Children work in pairs or small groups to come up with their own questions inspired by the stimulus and concepts 5. Question-airing Children share their question with the group and explain what they mean by the question and how it relates to the concept or stimulus. 6. Question-choosing There are many different methods suggested by SAPERE but this is basically the point where the group chooses which of the questions will form the basis of the day’s enquiry. As you can already tell this 10 Step Model is great for older children as it gives a really clear plan however it is also becoming obvious why this is too lengthy a process to keep 3-5 year olds engaged and requires much more complex skills and understanding than this age group are capable of. 7. First Words This is the first step into the actual enquiry. Now that the question for discussion has been chosen children are invited to offer their first thoughts. A few points are pulled out of this discussion to focus the enquiry around. Imagine getting to step 7 with children aged 3-5. I tried. I failed. Several times. 8. Middle Words Middle? What? You mean that after all of this we are only just starting at the middle? I won’t go into this too deeply as in this book we are not going to be following the 10 Step Model but for information only, this is the point where the bulk of the discussion takes place. If you are ever going to do P4C with an older group then I do urge you to look at the SAPERE 10 Step Model as you get a lot of useful prompts to make sure your enquiry is a success. It really is a good model. Just not for Early Years. 9. Last Words Basically a summary with the group on everyone’s final thoughts. 10. Review and Plan This is the post-session analysis where you evaluate how the enquiry went, the skills demonstrated and what you want to focus on next time. Each Peach Pear Plum by Allan Ahlberg and Janet Ahlberg
Each Peach Pear Plum is a timeless picture book classic from the bestselling illustrator/author team Janet and Allan Ahlberg, creators of Peepo!. Each beautifully illustrated page encourages young children to interact with the picture to find the next fairy tale and nursery rhyme character. Possible Enquiries
Oh the Places You'll Go by Dr Seuss
My favourite picture book of all time. From fun times and triumphs to lurches and slumps, Dr. Seuss takes an entertaining look at the adventures that life may have in store for us. Possible Enquiries
Llama Llama Red Pyjama by Anna Dewdney
The story of a little llama who doesn't want to go to bed without mummy Possible Enquiries
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
A gentle tale of three baby owls reassures young children that Mummy will always come home. Three baby owls, Sarah, Percy and Bill, wake up one night in their hole in a tree to find that their mother has gone. So they sit on a branch and wait... Darkness gathers and the owls grow anxious, wondering when their mother will return. Possible Enquiries
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was first published by Frederick Warne in 1902 and endures as Beatrix Potter's most popular and well-loved tale. It tells the story of a very mischievous rabbit and the trouble he encounters in Mr McGregor's vegetable garden! Possible Enquiries
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
Sometimes, when you love someone very, very much, you want to find a way of describing how much you treasure them. But, as Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare discover, love is not always an easy thing to measure. Possible Enquiries
The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
A firm Early Years favourite when exploring minibeast, life cycles, art or food. The Hungry Caterpillar follows the main character from egg to butterfly. Possible Enquiries
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Once there was a little tree ... and she loved a little boy. So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein. Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk ... and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave. This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another's capacity to love in return. Possible Enquiries
Handa's Surprise by Eileen Browne
This is the story of Handa, who's part of the Luo tribe in south-west Kenya. Handa decides to take seven pieces of delicious fruit to her friend, Akeyo, who lives in the neighbouring village. But as Handa wonders, I wonder what fruit Akeyo will like best?, a series of sneaky animals steal something from Handa's basket, which she's carrying on her head... When Handa reaches Akeyo, will she have anything left to offer her friend? Possible Enquiries
These are two great books if you are looking at challenging stereotypes, whether gender expectations (Princess Smartypants) or looks (Prince Cinders).
Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole Princess Smartypants does not want to get married. She enjoys being a Ms. But being a rich and pretty princess means that all the princes want her to be their Mrs. Find out how Princess Smartypants fights to preserve her independence in this hilarious fairy-tale-with-a-difference. Prince Cinders by Babette Cole Prince Cinders leads a very hard life. Bullied by his three hairy brothers about his less-than-perfect looks, he spends all his time cleaning and tidying up after them. One Saturday night Prince Cinders' luck changes as a small, dirty fairy falls down the chimney and promises that his wishes shall come true. Not all the fairy's spells turn out as planned in this zany twist of a traditional story Possible enquiries
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak is a lovely story for your own wild things.
One night Max puts on his wolf suit and makes mischief of one kind and another, so his mother calls him 'Wild Thing' and sends him to bed without his supper. That night a forest begins to grow in Max's room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max to the place where the wild things are. Max tames the wild things and crowns himself as their king, and then the wild rumpus begins! But when Max has sent the monsters to bed, and everything is quiet, he starts to feel lonely and realises it is time to sail home to the place where someone loves him best of all. Where the Wild Things Are offers a great collection of enquiry questions.
With almost 100 characters you can easily choose the ones which best fit your enquiry. Along with the enquiries that you could do which are specific to a certain character or story you could also try the following enquiries.
Possible Enquiries Who would be a worse friend… or … Who would you like most at your birthday party? … or …? Who would be the best in an emergency? Would you rather be … or … Who would you like to cook with …. or …? For a full list of the Mr Men and Little Miss series you can look here Expressive Arts and Design works well for children of all types but it is difficult for some children to access certain parts of it. Not all children can draw, not everyone enjoys exploring sound or texture, many children don’t like to dance or perform for others. Philosophy for Children could be used to encourage these areas in smaller groups if the question and methods are chosen carefully. As a lot of art (physical, musical and movement) is dependent on either interpretation or feeling, philosophy for children offers a new way to tap into these skills and abilities in a more structured way which may offer the predictability and security that creates a safe environment for less confident children to express themselves. Here are a few possible philosophical leads.
Exploring and Using Media and Materials Early Learning Goals 1. Children sing songs, make music and dance, and experiment with ways of changing them. 2. They safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function. Possible Enquiries What makes a good song? How does this song make you feel? What does that song make you think of? Would the world feel the same if there was no music? What is music? Does this count as music? Why? Why not? What is art? Do you like this painting? Is this art? (look at examples of ephemeral art) Which textures do you like/hate? Why? Being Imaginative Early Learning Goals 1. Children use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about uses and purposes. 2. They represent their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role play and stories. Possible Enquiries How many ways could we use this? (box/ bottle/stick) Can you represent ‘sad’ using dance/ colour/instruments/movement? In role play get involved and add new situations and challenges. Oh, what a perfect way to explore the world! Philosophy is a wonderful fit for this area of learning. Though not seen as important by those who care just for a Good Level of Development at the end of Reception Class, for the vast majority of Early Years practitioners this, along with Expressive Arts, is the very essence of understanding the world and revelling in childhood joy.
Our families, friends, the people we see every day in the streets and different occupations, technology and its place in our lives, the weather, huge things like countries and tiny but amazing things like metamorphosis, the environment, history, and on and on! This area of development is literally a whole world of exploration just waiting fir tiny minds to attempt to unravel and try to understand the mysteries of the universe. Philosophy for Children? Bring it on! People and the Communities Early Learning Goals 1. Children talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members. 2. They know that other children don’t always enjoy the same things, and are sensitive to this. 3. They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions. Possible Enquiries What is the past? How far back does past go? Do you remember being a baby? What do babies remember? What do you think your grandma was like as a baby? Should we all enjoy the same things? Should boys like “boy things” and girls like “girl things”? Do boy things and girl things even exist? Would you rather …..? Favourite games and activities Are we all the same? Are we all different? What does different mean? Are we better friends with children who are the same or different to us? What is good about being the same? What is good about being different? Do we all have to believe in the same things? If we believe in something does that mean it exists? If we don’t believe in something does it not exist? Do you have to see something to believe in it? The World Early Learning Goals 1. Children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. 2. They talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another. 3. They make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur, and talk about changes. Possible Enquiries Would you rather live in….. Sahara/Arctic, an Island/on top of a mountain, on a farm/in a busy city, etc. What animal would be best as a pet? Why? Everyone say what you would like. Can you convince everyone else that your choice would be the best? Why should we be kind to animals? Is it kind to have a pet? Are zoos and farms good or bad? Are insect lives as important as big animals? Are plant lives as important as insects? Is change good? (life cycles) How was the world made? Should we chop down trees? Should we drink bottled water? Technology Early Learning Goals 1. Children recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools. 2. They select and use technology for particular purposes. Possible Enquiries Could you live without technology/ electricity in your home? How would you ……… Can robots replace humans in every job? Is the internet a good thing? Could a computer make up a good story? Would you like to be a robot? Mathematics for Philosophy? Are they not the complete opposites? Philosophy embraces a search for an ultimate truth with an acknowledgement that it will never truly be found. It is open and flexible and creative. Mathematics is a world of right and wrong answers and structure (though I am sure those blessed with a mathematical mind better than mine would argue that it was far more complex than that). How can these co-exist?
Well first of all a brief reminder of that mathematical philosopher Pythagoras may be necessary. Pythagoras believed that the essence of being can be found in the form of numbers, and that it can be encountered through the study of mathematics. To expect a 3-5 year old to embrace the world through the eyes of Pythagoras, however, is perhaps a little stretching, so instead you can use philosophy to explore the underlying concepts of mathematics and also use some mathematical skills throughout your sessions. Numbers Early Learning Goals 1. Children count reliably with numbers from 1 to 20. 2. They place them in order. 3. They say which number is one more or one less than a given number. 4. Using quantities and objects, they add and subtract two single-digit numbers and count on or back to find the answer. 5. They solve problems, including doubling, halving and sharing. Areas to Explore When you vote with hands up, pictures or by moving to one space or another, get the children to help you count the votes. Look at what placing numbers in order means. What would happen if they were out of order? How could we work out what “8” means if it isn’t between 7 and 9? Look at ‘sharing’ and what sharing means. Is it important to share? Do we need to share equally? What is one person doesn’t want as much as someone else? Can we share fairly but not equally? Exploring doubling and halving in baking. If you experiment can you still make a cake? What is you double one ingredient and half another? Is the baking as much fun if there isn’t an edible cake at the end? What is more important – the process or the result? Space, Shape and Measure Early Learning Goals 1. Children use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time and money to compare quantities and objects and to solve problems. 2. They recognise, create and describe patterns. 3. They explore characteristics of everyday objects and shapes and use mathematical language to describe them. Areas to Explore Sort animals or toys by different properties to practice the skill of sorting and categorising. Get children to describe each one as they decide where to put it, practicing new language. Look at two (non-electronic) toys – one cheap and one expensive. Without telling them the price ask the children which one is best and why. At the end of the discussion show them the price of each one written down and count out the coins and notes that each one would cost. Talk about time. Look at days, months, weeks and years. What is a “long” time? What can be achieved in five minutes? Big things? Small things? What a perfect area to embrace Philosophy for Children! In fact we do it every time we read a story. As Early Years practitioners it is already in us to become philosophers when reading a story book. In Reading (30 – 50 months) we ask children to make up their own story endings. What better was to philosophise?
Reading Early Learning Goals 1. Children read and understand simple sentences. 2. They use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. 3. They read some common irregular words. 4. They demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read. Areas to Explore For older reception children – can they choose between the written statements to vote? When given a short sentence or word can children read them and place them in the correct place? E.g. see the activity “sorting animals”. This activity is done with toy animals but could, instead, be done with animals written on pieces of card Give children short sentences written on card. Ask each child to read their statement out and have the group vote on whether they agree or disagree e.g. ‘dogs are cute’ Writing Early Learning Goals 1. Children use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds. 2. They also write some irregular common words. 3. They write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others. 4. Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible. Areas to Explore Ask children to write their answer to open questions. Ask them to write a question they would like to discuss Have the children write down the community rules or 4Cs using their phonetic knowledge Although some areas of Physical Development can become philosophical enquiries, Physical Development is best covered by the methods used in an enquiry rather than the question itself. It is a great opportunity to get children moving and, in fact, having active moments in your session can go a long way to keeping all children involved and engaged.
Moving and Handling Early Learning Goals 1. Children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements. 2. Children move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. 3. They handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing. How to Utilise Enquiries Can children write or mark make their vote either on their own piece of paper or on a shared piece? Include some starter games that explore movement. Move like an animal or follow instructions to hop, stand on one leg, etc. Have some enquiries outdoors or in large spaces. Build an enquiry about voting for different things by running from one place to a choice of others. Encourage children to write or mark make as they vote or as they write their own ideas. Health and Self Care Early Learning Goals 1. Children know the importance for good health of physical exercise, and a healthy diet and talk about ways to keep healthy and safe. 2. They manage their own basic hygiene and person needs successfully, including dressing and going to the toilet independently. How to Utilise Enquiries Do we need to exercise? Why do we need to exercise? What is the best exercise? What makes it the ‘best’? Why is X better than Y? If you need to choose just one food to eat all week what would you choose? Why? We have a big pile of clothes. Choose the things you like and dress up. Try to get dressed by yourself. Why did you choose those things? Along with Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language is another area in which the children who join pre-school or reception class are widely varied, and usually for the same reasons. There are some philosophical leads that you can explore in order to develop Communication and Language however this area is most developed by including rich language opportunities within your actual enquiries.
Did you know that a study done in America in 1995 (need reference) found that children coming from a disadvantaged background will, on average, have heard almost 3 million fewer words by the age of three than those coming from a more privileged background? It is up to us to plug that gap and the best way to do that is by creating a language rich environment, not only in day-to-day conversation but also in the topics we introduce and in more specific inputs. The most useful tool here is for a child to be able to work towards understanding and being able to answer questions, and of course being able to ask questions of their own. Philosophy for Children sessions are a great time for an adult to be taking short observations to tick off some of those tricky areas of speech that you may not hear in play. Here are some ways to coax this language out. Listening and Attention - Early Learning Goals 1. Children listen attentively in a range of situations. 2. They listen to stories, accurately anticipating key events and respond to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions. 3. They give their attention to what others say and respond appropriately, while engaged in another activity. Possible Questions/Observations Can children listen in the input? Can they listen effectively to the question and move to vote when prompted? For literacy based enquiries do they join in with stories? Do children offer answers to questions posed to the group? Can they offer answers to questions asked specifically to them? Can children listen to the other children and facilitator and build on their ideas? Understanding Early Learning Goals 1. Children follow instructions involving several ideas or actions. 2. They answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories or events. Possible Questions/Observations Can children listen to a question with two or more possible answers and vote? When offering an opinion or idea can children tell you ‘why’ that is their opinion? Do they offer not just opinions but also justifications? Speaking Early Learning Goals 1. Children express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs. 2. They use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future. 3. They develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events. Possible Questions/Observations Can children explain their answers clearly? Can children listen nicely to each other, not just to the facilitator? Can children give examples from their own life to justify what they say? Do they use the correct tense? Can children connect their thoughts and give coherent, well-reasoned ideas and answers? Making Relationships Early Learning Goals
1. Children play co-operatively, taking turns with others. 2. They take account of one another’s ideas about how to organise their activity. 3. They show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings. 4. They form positive relationships with adults and other children Possible Enquiries Why should we take turns? Why should we share? Should we have to take turns/share if the toy is mine from home? If something is mine should I have the choice about whether to share? Who should I share with? Why? Are other people’s ideas as important as mine? Are mine more important? Less? What makes an idea important? How can I tell how someone is feeling? Does smiling always mean happy? What is happy/ sad/ angry? Why are people shy? Who are better to spend time with – children or adults? Why? Self Confidence and Self Awareness Early Learning Goals 1. Children are confident to try new activities. 2. They can say why they like some activities more than others. 3. They are confident to speak in a familiar group. 4. They will talk about their ideas. 5. They will choose the resources they need for their chosen activities. 6. They say when they do or don’t need help. Possible Enquiries Am I brave? What is brave? Is brave good? Am I brave if I am scared? What is your favourite game/toy? Why is it better than ….? Do girls always like dolls and boys always like cars? Why? Why not? If we are building a cardboard box robot how should we stick it together? Why would glue/sticky tape/staples/string be the best? Doe we always know when people need help? Should we always help? Should we help people we aren’t friends with? Can children help as well as adults can? Managing Feelings and Behaviour Early Learning Goals 1. Children talk about how they and others show feelings. 2. Children talk about their own and others’ behaviour and its consequences and know that some behaviour is unacceptable. 3. They work as part of a group or class and understand and follow the rules. 4. They adjust their behaviour to different situations. 5. They take changes of routine in their stride. Possible Enquiries How do we show people we are sad? Should people know we are sad if we don’t want them to? How can we tell if someone is angry? What is the difference between angry/sad, happy/excited, scared/excited? Is it ever right to smack? Is it right to shout at someone? Why do we need rules? What would happen without rules? Should every class have the same rules? Do we need the same rules at home and school? Do we need rules at home? Do we need to be scared about changes? Are changes good or bad? |
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AuthorMiss Magical Mess is a pre-school teacher and P4C Level 2B facilitator. After a shaky start as a P4C facilitator (P4C with 3 year olds... are you kidding?) Miss Magical Mess created her own approach to P4C and enquiry model and is now a big fan. Archives |