Learning to Think
-Philosophy for Children (P4C)
Pupils at a number of schools have been becoming philosophers through a process called Philosophy for Children. Each week over six weeks a P4C facilitator has been going into their classes to generate discussion around a theme. The facilitator's role is to help the children uncover the philosophical in the issues that they discuss.
Children sit in a circle with a P4C facilitator. Children lead the dialogue, steering it in the direction they choose. The facilitator asks questions to enable the children to enquire more deeply and challenge their assumptions. 
• A structured session starts with a stimulus.
• Children are encouraged to draw on their imagination to ask a question based on the stimulus
• Children make a collective decision by voting on the question they are most interested in.
• The discussion starts but is then not contained. It follows its own path guided by the children’s thoughts and ideas. 
P4C helped me because I heard lots of words like describing words and it helped my writing.
-Pupil,
Teachers to find out more visit
www.globalfootprints.org/philosophyforchildren
Find out more about the schools involved in this project by clicking the links below.
Ben Jonson, Marion Richardson, Mayflower, Smithy Street
