Reflections with children

Three friends are going to bake raspberry slices. One has a recipe. One has money to buy ingredients. And the last one has a kitchen and oven. Which of the three friends should have the most raspberry slices - or should they have the same amount? And what exactly does justice mean? Is injustice good or bad, and what to do about it?

Answers to that and many other questions will come to the children reading the first issue of the series. Reflecting with children 'Fish and raspberry slices', as the book is called, are created on the basis of a series of philosophical dialogues between children in the age group 10-15 years. The dialogues is used to get children to reflect and think about the world they live in - and this publishing of their dialogues should help other children to start asking questions and finding answers.

- Do not just read Reflecting with children. You must feel that you are engaging in a conversation. And it is a conversation created between children who have all been equally involved in the dialogue. When we facilitate dialogues, it is me who plays with a topic and keeps the conversation on track, but it is the children's thoughts and dialogue that have been guiding the conversation, this is also called 'a philosophical experiment', says Caroline Schaffalitzky, PhD and associate professor of philosophy at the University of Southern Denmark, as well as head of the research and development project Philosophy in the School.

A tool for the future of teaching

In the Philosophical Experiment, Caroline Schaffalitzky has been interested in experiencing how children think and philosophize - and how great children are at exploring complicated issues through dialogue. She does not hide the fact that she is impressed with the children's development in the process - and also impressed with the children's commitment, which may be clear in between the lines in 'Fish and raspberry slices'.

- We do not know exactly why, but it is a general experience that children experience the philosophical dialogues very differently from the type of teaching they are used to. Presumably because this form of teaching is free of expectations, the children can be themselves, and the other children have a sincere interest in what each other says, the researcher explains.

- Of course, philosophical dialogues is not a hammer you have to hit everything with, but these are techniques that can be interesting to involve when children have to ask questions and find answers. In traditional teaching, we may come to focus primarily on content and think less about process, says Caroline Schaffalitzky.

Listen to Reflection with children as a audiobook in Danish