Child’s Voice

 

What is it?

The ‘child’s voice’ describes the genuine involvement of children and young people in gathering their views, opinions and experiences.  By ensuring children can meaningfully engage with their learning and the decision-making processes that affect them, children are empowered, involved and included.

Underpinning this process is the need for adults who view children as competent and capable.  The adults should actively listen to them through:

  • “An active process of communication involving hearing, interpreting and constructing meanings
  • Not limited to the spoken word
  • A necessary stage in participation in (a) daily routines as well as in (b) wider decision-making processes.”

(Clark, 2005, p. 491)

The child’s voice across all experiences should be heard, valued, responded to, and visible.

Realising the Ambition (Education Scotland, 2020) confirms this need for observation and interpreting children’s actions and words,

“We should recognise that children’s voices are communicated through much more than simply verbal means, no matter the age of the child.  Therefore listening to young children should involve careful observation of movement and gesture alongside what they simply may say in order to give the child’s voice true context and meaning.” (p. 70)

“A young child’s voice is interpreted by our observations of their actions, emotions and words. These observations are central to assessment and inform us what children need.” (p. 30)

“Listen with your eyes.  Know that my expressions and movements are a fundamental part of my’ voice’.  They articulate my confidence, creativity and curiosity.” (p. 46)

Practitioners might consider Loris Malaguzzi’s poem “100 Languages of Children” when defining their approach to active listening.  Clark states that how children communicate with us is not limited to the spoken word and can be demonstrated through many and varied means.

Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is about respecting children’s views, “Every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously.  This right applies at all times, for example during immigration proceedings, housing decisions or the child’s day-to-day home life.”

In March 2021, the UNCRC became law in Scotland (Children’s Rights).

 

Key messages:

  • Children’s rights are upheld and underpin all practices within the setting.
  • The Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) wellbeing indicators direct all interactions within the setting.
  • Practitioners view children as active, capable and competent learners.
  • Children are listened to and given the time and space to direct their learning. (See Consulting our Youngest Children Toolkit and Sustained Shared Thinking)
  • Children are involved, their opinions seriously considered and taken into account during decision-making processes.

 

Ways we can do this:

Alison Clark and Peter Moss created the Mosaic Approach, a child-centred approach to research to include children’s voices.  Practitioners can use this approach within settings to gather information from children.  When involving children and gathering their opinions, practitioners must consider:

Using various methods to gather information:  Recognising the different ‘voices’ or languages of children and how these can be used to collect information. This may include (but is not limited to) spoken communication, gesture, body language, expressions, photographs, video, drawings, interviews, observation.  This information can be recorded in Care Plans, Learning Journeys, Floorbooks, learning walls and newsletters.

Participation:  Children are considered experts and agents in their own lives.  They are included in discussions and decision-making processes.

Reflective:  Children, practitioners and parents are involved in reflecting on the meaning and addressing the question of interpretations.

Adaptable:  Can be applied to a variety of early childhood institutions.

Focused on children’s lived experiences:  Can be used for a variety of purposes, including looking at the experiences that children live through.

Embedded into practice: A framework for listening can become more than an evaluative tool but can also be embedded into all early years practice.

(Beyond Listening, Clark, Kjorholt and Moss, 2005, p. 13)

 

Linked Areas of Practice

Children’s Rights

Inclusion

Making Learning Visible

Observations

Personal Plans

Sensitive Interactions

Sustained Shared Thinking

 

Tools  

Reflecting on Practice

SBC Guidance to support

National Guidance to support

Further Reading to support

Training to support