Although the noted developmental psychologist Jean Piaget was of the impression that children were not capable of critical thinking until age 11 or 12, the experience of many philosophers [who?]
[4] The term "inquiry" is preferred to "lesson" because the emphasis is on the group inquiring together into questions with the teacher as a facilitator rather than the authoritative source of information.
The German educational scientist Michael Siegmund recommends asking children a philosophical question along with an inspiring picture.
[6] There is particular diversity in the UK, owing to the large number of competing and collaborating freelance trainers each emphasising different strands of the pedagogy.
Roger Sutcliffe's practice includes the use of news stories; Steve Williams has emphasised the importance of dialogues that model argument as well as raising philosophical issues; Will Ord emphasises the use of striking photos, often containing contrasts that suggest opposing concepts;[7] Jason Buckley advocates a more physical, game-based approach and "Philosophy in Role", in which children philosophise within a story as characters confronted with a variety of problems.
SAPERE's mission is to advance the educational, personal, and social development of young people, especially those facing disadvantage, through the promotion of P4C.
This work with a range of practitioners, among them artists, scientists, and academics, aims to bring philosophical issues alive for children and young people.
A particular way of doing philosophy with children is illustrated by the work of Chris Phillips with the Philosophers Club at Cesar Chavez Elementary School in the Mission District, San Francisco, California.
[10] Professor William Barry of Notre Dame de Namur University is pioneering a new approach to P4C called Philosophy for Children and Community (P4C2) in the San Francisco Bay Area.
His contribution to evolving the idea of P4C involves young people becoming novice critical theory action researchers and meaningful members of communities of inquiry focused on human flourishing for every person.
Another key component of Barry's P4C2 is the importance of children gaining ontological weight from participation in their communities of inquiry by understanding the meaning of quality in praxis in a transformational way through TQ Theory.
Philosophy and Children organization offers introductory workshops and certificate courses in schools and for graduate teachers in Australia.
Through professional development and advocacy initiatives, FAPSA seeks to enrich and expand philosophy education in primary and secondary schools across the Asia-Pacific.
FAPSA is a member organisation of the International Council of Philosophy with Children (ICPIC), whose principles and values guide their work.
The Federation also undertakes non-competitive P4C events for schools in the form of Community of Inquiry days and Philosophy in Public Spaces.
[21] The growth of a community engaging European philosophy with children practitioners culminated in the establishment of Stichting SOPHIA — The European Foundation for the Advancement of Doing Philosophy with Children - in 1993, with Eulalia Bosch (Catalonia) serving as president, and Karel van der Leeuw (the Netherlands) as secretary.
The class, known as Winning Words, is an after-school program that works with elementary, middle, and high school students in Chicago.
The program aims to engage and inspire local youth through an education in philosophy, reasoning, and the verbal arts of dialogue and rhetoric; building self-confidence and exposing its students to a wide range of philosophical material.
Recognized by the American Philosophical Association,[23] the program provides an introduction to philosophy and Socratic dialogue and includes writing, public speaking, debate, drama, poetry, and art.
In February 2012, the American Philosophical Association's Committee on Pre-Collegiate Philosophy featured Winning Words and the Civic Knowledge Project in its Central Division meeting.
Throughout Australia Community of Inquiry days are held by regional affiliates of the Federation of Asia-Pacific Philosophy in Schools Associations.