Introduction to Philosophy for Children (P4C)

‘The unexamined life is not worth living’ (Socrates)

Aims:

You will... Learn how a P4C session is structured and start to think about

what makes it different Explore the nature and value of enquiry and experience a

Philosophical Enquiry Be able to get started on using P4C with your learners Have looked at a range of different resources and stimuli for

your own teaching practice

Philosophy for Children P4C

• A structured approach to learning through enquiry and dialogue

• Developed by Prof. Matthew Lipman in the 1960’s

• Advocated in the UK by SAPERE (www.sapere.org.uk)

• asking questions • giving reasons• building on ideas• exploring concepts• seeking truths• dialogue not debate

History of P4C

1970’s Professor Matthew Lipman Education failing children not taught to think

P4C programme• drop the thoughts of philosophers into the minds of children• challenge misconceptions of what philosophy is and who can do it

Communities of enquiry a programme of stories in which the

characters are curious, model ideas, ask questions, search for meaning P4C in the UK:

BBC documentary “Socrates for Six Year Olds”

SAPERE - 1992“Society for Advancing Philosophical Enquiry &Reflection in Education”

Thousands of teacherstrained in using

P4C in the classroom

The Standard Model for Philosophical Enquiry

1. CIRCLE

2. STIMULUS

3. INVITING QUESTIONS

Critical CaringCreative Confident

CulturalCommunityCollaborativeCurious

‘In Philosophy you ask questions that you wouldn’t ask in any other lesson’

• Why should we do as we are told?• Who was the first person on Earth?• Does it matter if you are different?• What would you like best – going to space, or staying

with your family?

Year 3 children at Ambleside Primary School

Questions about the story

Closed Questions

Open Questions

Intellectual questions / questions beyond the story

Phillip Cam, “20 Thinking Tools” Acer 2006

Look and see

Use your imagination

Ask an expert

Thinking questions

The Standard Model for Philosophical Enquiry

1. CIRCLE

2. STIMULUS

3. INVITING QUESTIONS

4. VOTE

 5. DIALOGUE

6. DEBRIEF

Talk, talk, talk: Teaching and learning in whole class discourse

http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/research/themes/speakandlisten/talktalk/

Over 60% of questions asked by teachers• factual closed questions • to which the teacher already knows the answer

Children rarely initiate the sequence their responses are brief – four words on average

Fewer than a third of questions asked by teachers• are higher order questions• to develop pupils’ understanding

We are missing opportunities to help pupils make connections between what they already know and their own new ideas

Socratic QuestioningCan you give an example of...?

Can you explain that...?Can you put it another way...?

How do we know that...?Do you have any evidence...?

What if someone else were to suggest that...?What would be the consequences of that...?

How could you test to see if it were true?How does what was said help us...?

Are we any closer to answering the question/problem...?Is there another point of view...?

Why Philosophy?• does not deal with hard facts• the ability to give good reasons • problem seeking and creative thinking• ethical thinking and logical enquiry –

citizenship education• look at familiar ideas in new ways

What is different about P4C?• An approach to learning that is relevant in every area of the

curriculum• Children provoked into asking questions related to the topic and

interesting to themselves.• Children respond thoughtfully to a number of conflicts or

arguments, not listen to one view only• Explore ideas on wider concepts• Teacher as facilitator - not giving own opinion• Discussion is through reasoning, to make the issues clearer• All ideas treated with respect, but all ideas face critique

Investigating other forms of stimuli

Working in pairs, consider the following questions in relation to your chosen stimulus:

1. How would you introduce the stimulus to your students?

2. What possible philosophical concepts/issues could be covered through the use of this stimulus?

3. What possible philosophical questions could arise?

4. Do you have any reservations in using this stimulus?

katie@cdec.org.uk+44 15394 31602