Creative Teaching and Learning reviews… Maisie Gould takes a look at Jason Buckley’s guide to getting started with Philosophy for Children – a small book bursting with big ideas and even bigger questions.
Pocket P4C – Getting Started with Philosophy for Children
If you’re interested in trying out a Philosophy for Children style enquiry with your students but aren’t quite sure how to get started, look no further - this books is the perfect introduction to P4C! It’s easy to understand (even for someone fairly new to the concept like me), brimming with brilliant ideas and, as the title suggests, pocket sized, making it the kind of book you can imagine keeping close at hand, ready for when you need a bit of inspiration.
Structured a little like a guidebook, the first half of the book takes you through the ten stages of a P4C enquiry, from set-up and warm-up activities right through to reflecting on how the session went, offering a raft of ideas for alternative approaches along the way. For example, the section ‘Building’ includes a list of devices for engaging more speakers if the discussion stalls, and also a list of ideas for slowing down the discussion if talking begins to outpace thinking.
The second half is equally as practical. There are suggestions for incorporating P4C into the broader curriculum, advice on helping children feel safe during a discussion which might make them feel vulnerable or exposed, and a list of ‘juicy’ enquiry questions – examples of which include, ‘Can you think wordlessly?’, ‘Would living forever be boring?’, and my personal favourite, ‘Is this a real question?’ In fact, there’s so much here I’m sure even experienced P4C practitioners will find something new to think about.