by Simon Withey,
Teacher of Computing and ICT
Teacher of Computing and ICT
What is it and how is it done?
Philosophy for Children (P4C), or some variation of it, is practised in
over 60 countries around the world and has a history stretching back over 40
years. The underlying principle is for children and young people to experience
rational and reasonable dialogue about things that matter to them and their
teachers. All participants work together in a ‘community of enquiry’. The aim
for each child is not to win an argument but to become clearer, more accurate, less
self-contradictory and more aware of other arguments and values before reaching
a conclusion.
A teacher educator tells you everything you need to know about
'philosophy for children' in just 30 seconds
What is "philosophy for children"?
Professor Matthew Lipman came up with the "philosophy
for children" (P4C) approach after becoming frustrated with the
low levels of engagement he was seeing in his students. He wanted to develop
the seemingly inherent abilities of children to wonder and question.
Do I need to understand Plato and Aristotle to use it?
You don’t need to understand their work to make use of their
approaches. P4C centres around encouraging children to develop their enquiry
and questioning skills. Think about how Socratic questioning works by
using enquiry to deepen understanding of a concept.
P4C can be used with pupils of any age, from EYFS and beyond.
How does it work?
In a nutshell: the teacher shares a stimulus and lets learners
choose a question collaboratively to help them investigate that stimulus more
deeply. In reality, the process is more complex, but stripping it back to the
basics shows how flexible it can be.
What would that process look like in a lesson?
You start by sharing a stimulus. A book – anything
from The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Macbeth – works
well as a starting point. But you could also use a “big question”, an
image or even a piece of music. You then need to give learners time to think of
questions that the stimulus prompts.
Once they have done that, bring the class back together to
discuss the questions and to decide which are the most important ones, using a
vote. These questions then become the collaborative focus for the class.
What do the kids get out of it?
Regularly incorporating P4C can build confidence and listening
skills. The approach rests on the basis that all contributions matter and it
aims to create a culture of collaboration in your classroom.
P4C lets us focus on developing a real articulation of thought.
You are asking children to construct and analyse their own ideas and opinions,
rather than just consuming answers. It takes time to develop, but the outcomes
can be reaped across the curriculum and even in the playground. Simple but
crucial skills are at the core of this technique – things like
turn-taking, reasoning and compromise.
Are you saying that I should definitely try this out?
Yes. I might sound over-enthusiastic about this one, but that’s
because I believe it to be a solid and well-researched approach that develops
critical thinking and enquiry in your learners. Anything that deepens
understanding and response is surely worth a try, right?
Where could I go for some research and practical ideas on this?
SAPERE is
packed with great resources and research, from lesson plans to whole-school approaches,
as is the International Council of
Philosiphical Inquiry with Children. James Nottingham shares
great work, as does Jenna
Lucas. This is certainly one to ask about on Twitter; you’ll be sure
to get some great responses.
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