I have had the most wonderful time teaching Philosophy for Children (P4C) this year. Many people ask me how children go when learning philosophy, in fact they are the best philosophers and I continually learn from them. Children have big ideas and many wonderings, more than adults I dare say!

Philosophy goes hand in hand with enquiry based learning, students are encouraged to explore ideas, ask questions and realise that they don’t always have to be right. Children are given the opportunity to ask and answer big questions and learn through discussion. 

Benefits of Philosophy for Children:

• Children see that their ideas have value and that other students have different ideas
• Children have a go at answering the ‘unanswerable’ questions
• Children gain confidence to ask questions
• Children learn to give reasons for what they say
• Children learn to respect and negotiate

Here are some questions we have been thinking about….. why not have a try at these discussions with your family, you will find some interesting answers from our big thinking boys.

            ‘Can competitive sport be fair?’ or ‘Is the school athletics carnival fair?’

            ‘Can you trust a robot?’

            ‘What is art?’ I show the students a scribbled toddler picture and a spiders web. Are these both examples of art?

            ‘Why are there colours in this world?’ or ‘How do we know we are seeing the same colour in this banana?’

            ‘What is the difference between telling a lie and keeping a secret?’

Ms A Bradshaw (Learning Enhancement)