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Including children's voices in the early years

Many early childhood educators want to give their children a voice and listening to children has become a very popular notion within early childhood in the last 20 or so years. Listening to young children, genuinely consulting them and ascertaining their views is part of developing a loving pedagogy (Grimmer, 2021) and can enable our children to feel empowered. In this blog Jayne Carter and Tamsin Grimmer will consider what we mean by listening to children as part of our mental health & wellbeing development provision and explore practical ways in which we can actively listen to young children and gather their views.

The importance of listening to children and links with Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Listening to children is fundamental to their personal, social, and emotional development (PSED). By actively listening to children, adults can foster trust, emotional security, and build positive relationships, which are crucial aspects of the PSED framework within early childhood education. The following points outline how listening to young children benefits them and promotes their PSED:

1. Building Trust and Relationships

Listening to children validates their thoughts, feelings, and experiences, helping them feel valued and understood. This promotes secure attachments and positive relationships, which are key to emotional wellbeing.

2. Supporting Emotional Expression

When children are listened to, they are more likely to express their emotions constructively. This helps them develop emotional literacy and resilience, enabling them to identify, understand, and manage their feelings.

3. Promoting Self-Esteem and Confidence

Actively listening shows children that their opinions matter. This builds their self-worth and confidence, encouraging them to participate, take risks, and engage in learning and social interactions.

4. Developing Social Skills

Through listening and reciprocal communication, children learn essential social skills, such as turn-taking, understanding others’ perspectives, and developing empathy.

5. Encouraging Independence and Decision-Making

Listening to children gives them a voice in decisions that affect them. This supports their ability to think independently and take ownership of their choices, fostering autonomy.

6. Early Identification of Needs

Attentive listening can help identify a child’s emotional, social, or developmental needs early on, allowing for timely support or intervention.

Links to PSED

PSED is a prime area of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and involves helping children develop a positive sense of self, build relationships, and understand and manage their emotions. Listening to children directly supports the three key aspects of PSED:

1. Self-Confidence and Self-Awareness

Children learn that their opinions matter and they are encouraged to express themselves which boosts confidence in their abilities.

2. Managing Feelings and Behaviour

Children are given opportunities to name and manage their feelings and adults can model positive communication and problem-solving strategies.

3. Making Relationships

Listening builds trusting and secure relationships with adults and peers and teaches children to listen to others, share, and empathise.

In summary, listening to children supports their PSED by fostering emotional wellbeing, promoting positive relationships, and nurturing self-confidence. It is a vital aspect of holistic development, ensuring that children feel seen, heard, and respected.

What is true or active listening?

Many early childhood educators want to give their children a voice and listening to children has become a very popular notion within early childhood in the last 20 or so years. Sonia Mainstone- Cotton describes truly listening to young children as a “two-way act of intent and purpose”, moving beyond hearing words to responding to them. It might be helpful to think about how you hear different sounds and can tune into and out of some depending on where you are and the context you are in. For example, if you are sitting in your kitchen doing some paperwork and the fridge is humming, you probably do not even notice it and can tune out of the sound; but if someone were to comment on how loud your fridge is, you would immediately tune into the sound and notice it a lot more. Our brains are able to distinguish between sounds we hear and sounds we need to listen to.

The same is true for listening to children. Sometimes we can be so used to hearing our children’s voices that they become a little like background noise and we forget to really listen to them. This is linked with attunement, when we are actively listening, we are able to not only tune into any words or sounds, but also to respond sensitively to the child’s body language and way of being. In this way we are attempting to better understand our children.

Methods of listening to children

There are lots of different ways that young children communicate and we can listen to them. This links with the inspiring poem by Loris Malaguzzi, The Child is Made of One Hundred (Edwards, Gandini and Forman, 2012).

In addition, the Mosaic Approach is a form of research which uses several different methods to listen to young children and seeks to see the world from a child’s perspective (Clark and Moss, 2017). Underpinning this approach is the notion that young children are experts in their own lives and have a wealth of ideas and experiences that we, as adults, should value and seek to gather and understand. The Mosaic Approach is about:

  • Listening to and consulting with young children

  • Viewing the world from child’s perspective

  • Seeing children are experts in their own lives

  • Believing that children have a wealth of ideas and experiences

  • Valuing children’s experiences and seeking to understand the child

  • Using a variety of methods in order to listen, e.g. Observation, Map making, Photography, Tours of spaces, Book making, Interviews,

Here are our top five ways of how to listen to young children and ensure they have a voice in our provision.

  1. Notice their behaviour, body language, gestures and eye contact/ eye movement - all behaviour is communication
  2. Get down to children’s level and attempt to see the world through your children’s eyes, listening to any words spoken or notice the sounds they make
  3. Closely observe children (what they do, what their interests are, where they play, who they play with, how long they are there)
  4. Interpret their creations, drawings, pictures or mark-making
  5. Offer children choices and note what they choose.

Offering children agency and acting upon our findings

Listening to young children and finding out their views is meaningless is we do not act upon what we find out. Therefore, whenever possible, we need to ensure we use the information gleaned from listening to our children. This links with article 12 of the UN convention on the rights of the child (UNCRC) which states that, ‘Every child had the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously’ (Unicef, 1989). Through listening to our children and acting upon what they say, we offer children agency as they begin to learn that they have a voice and that using it will change their lives.

The Lundy Model of Child Participation is a valuable framework for implementing children’s voice and participation in early years settings (Lundy, 2007). Developed by Professor Laura Lundy, it ensures that children’s views are taken seriously in decisions that affect them, aligning with Article 12 of the UNCRC. The model emphasises four key concepts: Space, Voice, Audience, and Influence. It can provide early years practitioners with a useful framework to consider how to involve and listen to their children.

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Benefits of Using the Lundy Model in the early years

  • Empowers Children: It gives children a sense of agency and control over their environment.

  • Fosters Confidence: Children feel heard and valued, which boosts their self-esteem and emotional development.

  • Supports PSED: Aligns closely with PSED as it promotes relationships, communication, and emotional security.

  • Encourages Inclusion: The model ensures that all children, regardless of their abilities, have a chance to participate and share their views.

  • Improves Practice: Educators gain deeper insights into children’s perspectives, improving the planning and delivery of child-centred learning experiences.

The Lundy Model and its application in the early years

1. Space

What it means: providing children with a safe, inclusive, and child-friendly environment where they feel comfortable to express themselves.

In Early Years:

  • Create welcoming spaces where children feel emotionally secure and valued.
  • Offer opportunities for children to express their thoughts through play, storytelling, art, and role-play.
  • Arrange quiet areas for children who may need more time to share their ideas and feelings.

2. Voice

What it means: Ensuring children have the opportunity to share their views freely, using methods that suit their age, abilities, and communication styles.

In Early Years:

  • Use child-friendly tools like pictures, puppets, and play-based activities to encourage communication.
  • Listen to children through verbal and non-verbal cues, including body language and behaviours.
  • Respect all communication styles, including those of children with speech or language difficulties.
  • Use open-ended questions, e.g., “How did that make you feel?” or “What would you like to do next?”

3. Audience

What it means: Ensuring children’s views are communicated to the appropriate people who have the power to act on them.

In Early Years:

  • Share children’s thoughts, ideas, or concerns with educators, parents, or decision-makers in the setting.
  • Display children’s work and comments on walls, creating opportunities to recognise their voice.
  • Encourage children to share their ideas during group activities or discussions.
  • Include children’s perspectives when planning activities, routines, or changes to the learning environment.

4. Influence

What it means: Ensuring children’s views are acted upon, where appropriate, and that they see the impact of their participation.

In Early Years:

  • Involve children in decisions about classroom routines, play spaces, or activities. For example, let them decide which resources to use or how to arrange a play area.
  • Provide feedback to children, explaining how their ideas or concerns influenced decisions, e.g., “We made a cozy reading corner because you said you wanted a quiet space.”
  • Empower children to take ownership of small tasks, like choosing themes for play or helping resolve conflicts.

By applying the Lundy Model, early years practitioners ensure that children’s voices are not only heard but respected and acted upon, laying the foundation for confident, capable, and emotionally secure individuals.

What a wonderful way to empower our children!

References

Bradbury, A. and Grimmer, T. (2024) Love and Nurture in the Early Years. London: Sage.

Clark, A. and Moss, P. ( 2017) Listening to Young Children: A Guide to Understanding and Using the Mosaic Approach. London: Jessica Kingsley.

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

Grimmer, T. (2021) Developing a Loving Pedagogy in the Early Years: How love fits with professional practice. Abingdon: Routledge.

Lundy, L. (2007) Voice is not enough: conceptualising Article 12 of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. British Educational Research Journal 33(6), 927-942

Mainstone-Cotton, S. (2019) Listening to young children in early years settings: a practical guide. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Unicef (1989) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Available at www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Publication-pdfs/UNCRC_PRESS200910web.pdf

Many early childhood educators want to give their children a voice and listening to children has become a very popular notion within early childhood in the last 20 or so years.  In this free webinar Tamsin Grimmer, Early Years Consultant, Author and Lecturer and Jayne Carter, PSED Project Manager will highlight the importance of listening to young children and outline some key strategies you can use to include children's voice in your practice. 

Date: 26th February 2025

Time: 8pm-9pm

Cost: FREE

Book here

Jayne Carter and Tamsin Grimmer
11 February 2025