What is 'Philosophy for Children' (P4C)?

source: Dorset SACRE Sept 2009 Cdrom "Ready to go further": Philosophy4Children Key Note Speech Dorset RE.ppt

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Powerpoint presentation 'Philosophy for Children' (P4C) seems to take a Humanist approach.

What is 'Philosophy for Children' (P4C) / 'Enquiry and Dialogue in the Classroom'?

John Palliser draws on his extensive teaching and consultancy experience to provide and develop models of how P4C can best enhance the curriculum at your school. Schools that John has worked with use P4C to:

• Enhance quality of dialogue, questioning, reasoning and engagement in lessons across the curriculum etc

What is Philosophy for Children? 

• P4C is a pedagogy based on Socratic dialogue.  
• P4C aims to engage pupils in Exploratory talk through the careful use of reasoning and language. 
• As such P4C involves pupils in philosophising.  
• P4C is not an academic study of Philosophy. 

Disputational talk in which speakers….. 

• are competitive rather than cooperative  
• don’t listen  each stick to their own point of view (‘Yes it is! – No it’s not!’)  
• make their own decisions

Cumulative talk in which speakers……… 

• share ideas  agree with each other  
• …but there is no critical evaluation of ideas 

Exploratory talk in 

• all actively participate  
• ask questions: What do you think…? Why do you think…?  
• share relevant information: Do you remember…?  
• give reasons for their views: I think that because..  constructively 
• criticise: Yes, but if….  try to reach agreement: 
• Do we all agree that…? 

Structure of an Enquiry

• Preparation 
• Presentation of stimulus 
• Thinking time / reflection 
• Sharing ideas 
• Question forming 
• Linking 
• Selection
• Dialogue 
• Last words

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