Philosophy for Children Developing Language for Learning through P4C 4th February 2009 Sue Youngson & Tracey Millar

1. Philosophy for Children Developing Language for Learning through P4C 4th February 2009 Sue Youngson & Tracey Millar SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

2. Overview of the workshop • Quick overview of what P4C is. • Context of Marshlands School • Why P4C • How we implemented P4C • What benefits are to Marshlands • What it is not • A workshop on how to implement P4C in your school SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

3. The Origins of Philosophy for Children • Developed by Professor Matthew Lipman & Ann Sharp • Why? SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

4. Theory • Socrates – “I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance” • Vygotsky – “What the child can do in co-operation today, he can do alone tomorrow” • Dewey – “An education that emphasises community, communication and intelligent enquiry, and a reconstructive attitude can best serve the citizens of an ever-changing world” SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

5. Aims of Philosophy for Children: • Developing cognitive ability and emotional intelligence • Helping children become more reasonable thinkers and problem solvers • Promoting such dispositions and qualities as curiosity, creativity and wisdom SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

6. The Development of Thinking Skills Higher order thinking skills Middle order thinking skills Lower order thinking skills SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

7. The structure of an Enquiry • Preparation • Presentation • Thinking time • Conversation • Formulation • Airing • Selection • First words • Building • Last words SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

8. The teacher’s/facilitators role is to: • Choose a suitable stimulus • Establish group conventions • Extend pupil’s thinking Steer the discussion by asking ‘Socratic' questions – see sheet/next slide or Purely as a facilitator SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

9. Success Criteria and Evaluation • Ask good questions to provide a focus for the enquiry? • Give reasons or evidence to support arguments and judgements? • Clarify concepts through making connections, distinctions and comparisons? • Generate ideas and alternative viewpoints through imaginative thinking? • Test for truth by gathering information, evaluating evidence, examples and counter examples? • Expand ideas by sustaining and extending lines of thought and argument? • Summarise by abstracting key points of general rules from a number of idea or instances? • Evaluate their own discussion/contribution/thinking SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

10. Background to Marshlands Primary school • In an area of deprivation – in the most 10% deprived areas in the Country – was classed as a ‘hard to shift school’ until 2008. • Improving school – (OFSTED 2008) • Majority of children achieve or exceed targets compared to FFT type D data. • Considered a ‘successful and effective school’ (LEA 2008). SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

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12. Why do P4C at Marshlands Primary School? • Speaking & listening had been identified by the school as an area for development initially as part of the ISP. • The headteacher had heard about the benefits of P4C for speaking & listening • Children have low levels of attainment in speaking and listening on entry and while interventions such as Teaching Children Talking were effective it was felt that a whole school wave 1 initiative might be valuable. SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

13. SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

14. So how was language developed in year 5 in Marshlands Primary School? • All children developed confidence in speaking • Most notably vulnerable girls & SEN boys • Able to extend gifted & talented • Able to use in other context – in & out of class • Impact on behaviour through a common language • Developed causal language – i.e. because • Developed ability ask appropriate questions across subjects • More analytical about talk SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

15. Why we felt language in year 5 developed? • P4C allows:- • Reflection Time – time to compose thoughts before speaking, think, pair, share. • Week by week consolidation & extension of vocabulary allowing over- learning of vocabulary for SEN & extension for G&T • Peer modelling & support • Teaches skills for effective communication. • Ensures all children speak developing confidence in the quieter or more vulnerable children. • Ensures children develop listening skills particularly in more dominant children • Teaches the correct terminology for debate • Gave children chance to develop thinking skills • Such as, questioning, self-reflection, higher order skills such as synthesis (developing arguments), and evaluation SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

16. Other benefits • Encouraged children to listen and value other peoples opinion • Enabled children to develop more independence in their thinking • Developed democracy and decision making skills • Gave the children the language to challenge other children's in a constructive manner • Children were seen to transfer speaking, listening and thinking, skills to other lessons and situation SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

17. What next? • Rolled out to the junior classes and year 2 after further consultation with the teachers. • Then looked at adapting it initially for year 1 and then for foundation SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

18. Adaptations • Year 1 • Whole class for stimulus sharing • Chn split up into groups • Each group worked on a P4C skill for 15 mins then moved around to different skill. • Foundation • Children split up into groups of approx 6 and they did 5 minutes on each skill. SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

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20. Ofsted and P4C Ofsted view P4C favourably – see hand out SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School

21. Questions SueYoungson EPBST & Tracey Millar Marshlands Primary School