Good Practice Database >> Philosophy For Children to develop collaboration and questioning

LA	Rhondda Cynon Taf	School Name	Tref-y-Rhyg Primary School

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What was the focus for improvement?
• To develop the children’s understanding of different types of questions and for them to devise their own open ended and philosophical questioning.
• To develop their skills of working together, devising rules, roles and responsibilities within a group situation.
• To develop communication skills
• To infuse the thinking skills approach across the curriculum

What did we do?
• Introduced the children to Philosophy of Children approach using Philosophy Bear as a stimulus.
• Sorted questions into closed, open and philosophical questioning
• Devised group rules and roles and responsibilities to be used in a group situation
• Extended the skill of questioning into Creative Development (Dance, Extended writing)

What were the outcomes?
• Children writing their own philosophical/open ended questions and posting them to Philosophy Bear
• Thinking skills are becoming embedded in other areas of the curriculum
• Children are more confident in working with others and they are more organised with individuals being given specific roles.
• Questioning has improved

What evidence have we collected to demonstrate improvements?
• Examples of creative writing
• A short dance
• Questions that have been posted to Philosophy Bear
• Questionnaires with the children
• Statistical data based on individual children’s confidence and self esteem
• Video evidence of a community of enquiry

What have we learnt about teaching practice and pupils learning?
• Young children are able to differentiate between different types of questioning.
• They are able to devise different types of questions.
• It has a positive impact in the quality of work in other areas of the curriculum as well as improving their collaboration and communication skills.

What we aim to do next
• Integrate it throughout the school with an emphasis on using the FLIP camera to carry out observations and use as a tool for assessment for learning in Philosophy for Children.
• Possibly make links to collaboration (one of the capacities in Building Learning Power)
 

Supporting Documentation

Philosophy for Children

P4C Conference Details

PowerPoint - If i Were a Spider

PowerPoint - Philosophy bear and the big sky

PowerPoint - Spider Presentation

PowerPoint - Spider Weaver

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