The child as a philosopher. On the educational project FiloZosia — philosophy for pre‑schoolers Cover Image

Dziecko filozofem. O projekcie edukacyjnym FiloZosia — filozofia dla przedszkolaków
The child as a philosopher. On the educational project FiloZosia — philosophy for pre‑schoolers

Author(s): Barbara Wąsik
Subject(s): Philosophy, Ethics / Practical Philosophy, Preschool education, Educational Psychology
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Komisji Edukacji Narodowej w Krakowie
Keywords: philosophy for children; philosophical inquiries; philosophy in kindergarten; philosophy in the first stage of school education;

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this article is to present the 2015 educational project FiloZosia — Philosophy for pre‑schoolers, which calls upon the natural predilection of children to ‘philosophise”. The author lists different philosophy classes aimed at the youngest learners that were organised in Poland. This serves as a background to the detailed exposition of a project undertaken by the Ph.D. and M.A. students at Cracow’s universities. First, we outline the idea behind FiloZosia, including its general and specific aims. We then go on to discuss the form of these classes, and the thematic fields which provide the topics for FiloZosia meetings. Finally, we provide a sample schedule of a class with some methodological and practical tips, as well as the conclusions that we reached after the cycle of meetings was finished. We also aim to disperse the doubts of some teachers and parents, who are afraid of the negative influence such debates could have on the children. Our claim is that well‑conducted discussions will significantly stimulate the intellectual and ethical development of children. We also believe that they have proved to be a valuable tool in honing the communication skills between adults and children.

  • Issue Year: VIII/2018
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 187-204
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Polish