Soliciting Advice from Children

In their book, Designs for Living and Learning, Deb Curtis and Margie Carter outline a way of "seeking and understanding children's ideas" about how they experience their classroom space, "honoring the voices and rights of our youngest citizens." They advise holding conversations with children and asking for drawings that illustrate their ideas about the ongoing use and design of both indoor and outdoor space.

The authors site an example from Alison Maher and Ellen Hall and a group of children, from Boulder Journey School, Boulder, Colorado:

"Alison and Ellen write: As a school community inspired by the schools for young children in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and the people who participate in the World Forum Foundation Working Group on Children's Rights, we have chosen to engage in ongoing research alongside children. One example of this research occurred when teachers observed four-year-old children stacking stumps and tires in an effort to see over the fence that surrounds our school playground. Teachers noted that the fence, intended to keep children safe from traffic, was in opposition to their right to participate in the world around them. To better understand the children’s thinking, teachers invited children to discuss and draw their frustrations along with their proposed solutions."

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