Philosophy for Children and P.E.A.C.E. (EMMA)

It aims to demonstrate how important philosophy is to the development of critical and creative thinking. It aims to show teachers how they can use stories, sketches and games to translate the complexity of philosophical enquiry into manageable and profitable discussion with the children in their classes. The course looks at the background and theory behind P4C, and then introduces the method and approach used. It then takes participants into different classrooms as observers of P4C sessions in practice, with guided observation tasks to aid understanding. The P.E.A.C.E project illustrates a specific application of the P4C approach; it uses philosophy to foster a more tolerant and cosmopolitan mindset in children. The final module enables participants to gain first-hand experience of P4C by involving them in a P4C pratical session of their own with one of the P4C trainers from the University of Naples.

The course introduces participants to the origins, theory and practice of Philosophy for Children. It shows how the technique is used in the classroom and, through the PEACE project, illustrates how it can be used to address specific areas of children's education e.g. living in a multicultural classroom/society. Participants discover a series of materials that can be used or adapted for use in their own classroom, and gain first-hand experience of using the P4C methodology in a practical session.