This document provides an introduction to Philosophy for Children (P4C). It discusses the aims and structure of P4C sessions, which involve forming a circle, presenting a stimulus, inviting questions, voting on questions, dialogue and debriefing. P4C develops skills like questioning, reasoning, exploring concepts and seeking truth through dialogue rather than debate. The document traces the history and development of P4C and provides examples of open-ended questions that can be discussed. It emphasizes the importance of higher-order questioning and thinking in P4C.

1. Introduction to
Philosophy for Children (P4C)
‘The unexamined life
is not worth living’ (Socrates)

2. Aims:
You will...
 Learn how a P4C session is structured and start to think about
what makes it different
 Explore the nature and value of enquiry and experience a
Philosophical Enquiry
 Be able to get started on using P4C with your learners
 Have looked at a range of different resources and stimuli for
your own teaching practice

3. Philosophy for Children P4C
• A structured approach to
learning through enquiry and
dialogue
• Developed by Prof. Matthew
Lipman in the 1960’s
• Advocated in the UK by SAPERE
(www.sapere.org.uk)
• asking questions
• giving reasons
• building on ideas
• exploring concepts
• seeking truths
• dialogue not debate

4. History of
P4C
1970’s Professor Matthew Lipman
Education failing
children not taught to think
P4C programme
• drop the thoughts of philosophers
into the minds of children
• challenge misconceptions of what
philosophy is and who can do it
Communities of enquiry
a programme of stories in which the
characters are curious, model ideas, ask
questions, search for meaningP4C in the UK:
BBC documentary
“Socrates for Six Year Olds”
SAPERE - 1992
“Society for Advancing
Philosophical Enquiry &
Reflection in Education”
Thousands of teachers
trained in using
P4C in the classroom

5. The Standard Model for Philosophical Enquiry
1. CIRCLE
2. STIMULUS
3. INVITING
QUESTIONS

6. Critical
Caring
Creative
Confident
Cultural
Community
Collaborative
Curious

7. ‘In Philosophy you ask questions that you
wouldn’t ask in any other lesson’
• Why should we do as we are told?
• Who was the first person on Earth?
• Does it matter if you are different?
• What would you like best – going to space, or staying
with your family?
Year 3 children at Ambleside Primary School

8. Questions about the story
Closed
Questions
Open
Questions
Intellectual questions / questions
beyond the story
Phillip Cam, “20 Thinking Tools”
Acer 2006
Look and
see
Use your
imagination
Ask an
expert
Thinking
questions

9. The Standard Model for Philosophical Enquiry
1. CIRCLE
2. STIMULUS
3. INVITING
QUESTIONS
4. VOTE
5. DIALOGUE
6. DEBRIEF

10. Talk, talk, talk:
Teaching and learning in whole class discourse
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/research/themes/speakandlisten/talktalk/
Over 60% of questions asked by teachers
• factual closed questions
• to which the teacher already knows the answer
Children rarely initiate the sequence
their responses are brief – four words on average
Fewer than a third of questions asked by teachers
• are higher order questions
• to develop pupils’ understanding
We are missing opportunities to help pupils make connections between what they
already know and their own new ideas

11. Socratic Questioning
Can you give an example of...?
Can you explain that...?
Can you put it another way...?
How do we know that...?
Do you have any evidence...?
What if someone else were to suggest that...?
What would be the consequences of that...?
How could you test to see if it were true?
How does what was said help us...?
Are we any closer to answering the question/problem...?
Is there another point of view...?

12. Why Philosophy?
• does not deal with hard facts
• the ability to give good reasons
• problem seeking and creative thinking
• ethical thinking and logical enquiry –
citizenship education
• look at familiar ideas in new ways

13. What is different about P4C?
• An approach to learning that is relevant in every area of the
curriculum
• Children provoked into asking questions related to the topic and
interesting to themselves.
• Children respond thoughtfully to a number of conflicts or
arguments, not listen to one view only
• Explore ideas on wider concepts
• Teacher as facilitator - not giving own opinion
• Discussion is through reasoning, to make the issues clearer
• All ideas treated with respect, but all ideas face critique

14. Investigating other forms of stimuli
Working in pairs, consider the following questions in relation to your chosen
stimulus:
1. How would you introduce the stimulus to your students?
2. What possible philosophical concepts/issues could be covered through the use
of this stimulus?
3. What possible philosophical questions could arise?
4. Do you have any reservations in using this stimulus?

15. katie@cdec.org.uk
+44 15394 31602