Research School Network: Philosophy for Children


Philosophy for Children

by Billesley Research School
on the

Philosophy for Children, or P4C, is an approach to learning and teaching which enables the enhancement of children’s thinking, along with their communication skills. In P4C, the teacher will use a stimulus, for example a story, video clip, or image. This is shared with a group of children. The aim of the facilitator is to encourage the children to think of their own engaging and philosophical questions about the stimulus. The children then hold meaningful and self-led discussions with each other, often using phrases such as I agree’ or I disagree’ to respectfully navigate their way through the conversation. To prompt further questioning and enquiry, the questions are contestable, central and common. The child asks a question that is important to that child and potentially is a shared issue or concern in the group. As questions grow more philosophical and imaginative, children learn to listen carefully to each other, to explore differences of opinion respectfully, and to value the ideas of others.

At Billesley, we encourage the 4Cs of P4C – critical, creative, collaborative and caring thinking. As discussed by Jefferson and Anderson (2017), the 4C’s are designed to bring forward questioning, imagination and discoveries about learners. Outlined here are main principles:

Creativity: Children use their imagination and abstract thought to solve problems by being given the opportunity to explore the unexpected.

Critical reflection: the opportunity is given to children to question, explain and elaborate on their ideas. However, in order to think critically, the children will need to be able to reflect and resolve issues along the way. This is why it is important to start P4C early on as it aids metacognitive processes such as these becoming more intuitive.

Communication: this is a key element of P4C as it develops the children’s empowerment and ability to respect others through teaching the children to hear each other, and to take in each other’s thoughts and opinions.

Collaboration: this supports the children’s ability to engage and negotiate. The children need to be able to challenge each other in a respectful way, whilst also being able to withstand that challenge if it is aimed towards them. And, of course, learn to accept the challenge and move on once the session is over.

At Billesley, the 4C’s add meaningful depth to each child’s learning experience, something that is supported by Jefferson and Anderson (2017) who continue to discuss how the 4C’s can be integrated across the curriculum in different ways. Crucially, they also suggest that curriculum integration should be unique to the setting and that P4C is a whole school approach. In this way, Billesley incorporates P4C into the curriculum timetable and insists on at least one 40 minute session a week. It can also be successfully used across the curriculum in an interdisciplinary way, across every subject, and for all ages and abilities. At Billesley, we also use P4C to inspire the children to think about their behaviour by using the 4C’s to help to promote their self esteem, secure effective learning behaviours and ensure consistency across the school, beginning of course within the EYFS.

However, there are those that criticise the questioning in P4C. It has been argued by Hand (2008) that having no right answers’ renders philosophical inquiry futile. Specifically, that it simply does not make sense to talk about questions with no right answers and asking children to engage in these kinds of questions has no discernable point. Yet, schools such as our own have seen the academic, social and emotional benefits of the implementation of the 4Cs, not only in the P4C lesson, but across the entire curriculum. Furthermore, we have challenged Hand’s (2008) other notion that P4C is not for the early years. Here at Billesley P4C is taught in EYFS. It is the process of the learning taking place and more importantly the thinking process that is the basis for P4C. The children in EYFS are capable of becoming engaged in a community of inquiry, however it is important to remember that it is not the outcome of the dialogue taking place that is the most significant, but the process of that thinking. By providing our younger children with P4C content we are contributing to their ability to claim, question and be able to make relevant connections whilst building on each other’s ideas and think reflectively. According to Matthew Lipman, it is reflective thinking specifically which is the most important aspect for both younger and older learners. In other words, the process is equally important as the outcome, which incidentally forms the foundations of our EYFS approach. By introducing our younger children to P4C we are, as recommended in the EEF Preparing for Literacy’ Guidance Report prioritising the development of communication and language by aiding their language and communication development and helping to extend and consolidate their language skills.

The National Curriculum covers the prescribed content of learning, and of course is prescribed by the Government. The DFE mandatory core subjects are Maths, English and Science, and then follows the mandatory foundation subjects. P4C however is not a mandatory curriculum subject, but should it be? Ross (2000) explains how along with the compulsory curriculum, we can all refer to the hidden curriculum simultaneously, and that this exists in wider domains. Ross (2000) feels the hidden curriculum can and should include socially constructed programmes and play a part in transforming the pupils. The DFE, in the current programme of study, states that schools must offer a curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society. It continues to state that it must prepare the pupils at the school for opportunities, responsibilities and experiences in later life. It can be argued that P4C is a part of our hidden curriculum and does in fact play a part in transforming our pupils. It branches out into sensitive subjects and creates a respectful bond amongst our children which in turn branches out into our local society.

Overall. P4C is a positive influence for the hidden curriculum, having a deep impact on our children. In a world where difference of opinion can start wars, would it not be easier to teach the children how to deal with those differences without conflict in order for them to grow into more compassionate and understanding adults? I believe P4C can help support our children with this process and I would enjoy seeing it be made into a mandatory foundation subject within our national curriculum.

Sarah Cutler
Year One Teaching Assistant


References

DFE, (2014) The national curriculum in england framework document. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/381344/Master_final_national_curriculum_28_Nov.pdf (Accessed: 1st March 2020).
Hand, M. (2008) Can children be taught philosophy
Jefferson, M. and Anderson, M. (2017) Transforming schools. London: Bloomsbury.
Ross, A. (2000) Curriculum construction and critique. London: Falmer Press.
The philosophy man. (2018) About P4C. Available at: https://www.thephilosophyman.com/about/aboutp4c
EEF Preparing for Literacy Guidance Report 2018

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