Julie Pearson early years development manager at the ÎÞÂëÌìÌÃ, shares how you can ensure that the voice of the child is heard in your setting
Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Emilia approach, informs us that children possess one hundred languages. So how can we ensure these languages are heard within our early years settings?
The role of the key person
Firstly, it is important that the whole setting has an ethos of listening to children. While the role of the key person is absolutely vital, the whole setting will need to create a respectful community for children to feel listened to and understood.
Within this bigger community, sits the essential role of the key person. This trusted adult will be able to build relationships with each child, hearing both their verbal and non-verbal voices.
The voice of the child in safeguarding
Children communicate through their feelings, the support of the key person as a significant adult enables children to begin to make sense and understand the world, manage their feelings, and be confident in expressing their views. This will be built up on the understanding of each unique child in the key persons care and build confidence in children to share both verbally and nonverbally when something isn't right for them, which of course is essential when considering the voice of the child in safeguarding.
Unfortunately, the findings of many serious case reviews, such as that of Star Hobson and Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, show us that the children’s voices are not always truly heard. This provides a stark reminder of why it is important to ensure policies and procedures around safeguarding within early years settings capture the voice of the child.
Hearing to voice of the child in practice
As early years educators, we need to think about practical opportunities to support communication with children. In Listening to young children: the mosaic approach, Alison Clark and Peter Moss (2021) developed a method for listening to children that they call the ‘mosaic approach’. This approach sees different pieces of information pulled together to create a bigger picture of what it is like for children within an early years setting.
Clark and Moss spent time observing children and talking to them about what it was like for them at their setting. They also used digital photography, asking children to take pictures of what was important to them. They also spoke with parents, carers and educators to build up a larger 'mosaic' image of a child's experience. This information can then be used to influence change within a setting to help support children better and respond to their individual needs.
Barriers to hearing the child’s voice
A multi-layered approach to listening to children and hearing their voices is essential. It is important that educators themselves do not create barriers to hearing the voice of the child by making assumptions about what children can and cannot do. Listening to young children can't be rushed, time needs to be spent observing and understanding each unique child in our care.
Reflection is key to considering this approach, maybe start with these reflective questions:
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Are all children heard in the same way in your setting, are some children listened to more than others? For example, how are babies’ voices heard?
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Are their times of the day or spaces within your setting where the children’s voices aren't heard as much as they usually are? For example, this could be during busy home times or when you are preparing meals?
Finally, it is clear from research over recent decades and findings from serious case reviews, that listening to children is essential for child-centred, safe, and effective early years provision. Therefore, it is vital that we consider how we empower children and hear their voices within our daily practice.
Julie will be hosting one of our four practical seminars at the ÎÞÂëÌìÌà Connect Roadshow on 20 March at Park Plaza, Leeds.
Places on her session, Hearing the voice of the child, are limited so please book ASAP to avoid disappointment.