Ensuring children’s voices are heard

Listening to children is an important notion within early childhood and Tamsin sees it as a key component of a loving pedagogy (Grimmer, 2021) because it empowers children and contributes to their overall wellbeing. This blog delves into the meaning of ‘listening to children’ and offers practical strategies for actively listening and gathering their perspectives.

The Importance of Listening to Children

Listening to children is fundamental to their personal, social, and emotional development (PSED). When adults actively listen, they create an environment of trust and emotional security, fostering positive relationships – all crucial elements of the PSED framework in early childhood education. Listening to children helps to:

• Build Trust and Relationships 
• Support Emotional Expression
• Promote Self-Esteem and Confidence
• Developing Social Skills
• Encourage Independence and Decision-Making
• Help with the Early Identification of Needs 

How do we actively listen to children?

Sometimes, we become so accustomed to hearing children’s voices that they blend into the background, and we forget to truly listen. This is closely related to the concept of attunement; when we are actively listening, we not only tune into the words and sounds children make but also respond sensitively to their body language and overall demeanor. In this way, we strive to better understand the child’s perspective and experience.

There are many methods of Listening to Children and as Malaguzzi shares in his poem about the hundred languages of children (Edwards, Gandini and Forman, 2012) young children communicate in a multitude of ways. Here are some key strategies for listening to young children and ensuring their voices are heard:

1. Remember that all behaviour is a form of communication, so notice their behaviour, body language, gestures, and eye contact/movement.
2. Closely observe children: Pay attention to what they do, their interests, where they play, who they play with, and how long they engage in specific activities.
3. Get down to the child’s level and attempt to see the world through their eyes, listening to any words spoken and noticing the sounds they make.
4. Value and interpret their creations (drawings, paintings, constructions, mark-making etc.).
5. Offer the children choices and observe what they choose and how those choices reflect their interests and preferences.

You can read an additional article on this topic on the Partnership for Children website.

References

Edwards, C., Gandini, L., and Forman, G. (2012) The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation(3rd ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.

Grimmer, T. (2021) Developing a Loving Pedagogy in the Early Years. Abingdon: Routledge.

About the authors

Jayne Carter
Jayne is a qualified primary school teacher and early years specialist. She works as an independent educational consultant, supporting early years settings and schools in improving teaching and learning. Jayne helped develop Partnership for Children’s Free Early Years Activities and is currently leading the development of Partnership for Children’s Early Years Personal Social Development Programme, working with settings around the UK & internationally to support the personal, social and emotional development of 3-5 year olds.

Tamsin Grimmer
Tamsin Grimmer is a director of Linden Learning, an associate of Early Education, principal lecturer at Norland College and an Emotion Coaching Practitioner for Emotion Coaching UK. She has a wealth of experience supporting Early Years Teachers and educators. She is passionate about young children’s learning and has written several books aimed at educators and is a true advocate for adopting a loving pedagogy.