Making space for children’s voices

At our recent ECMS Conference, we spent time thinking about what it means to create safe places of being and belonging – places where children feel seen, heard, known and valued.

Feeling heard is an important part of belonging. In early childhood education, we often talk about children’s voice. We ask children what they think, listen to their ideas and give them opportunities to make choices. But having a voice is about more than being asked. It is also about knowing that what you bring matters and can help shape what happens next.

When children’s ideas take us somewhere new

At ECMS, we see children as active participants in their own learning. Every child brings their own knowledge, interests, experiences, culture, language and ways of seeing the world.

Our educators take time to get to know each child and what matters to them. They listen, notice and respond, using what they know about children to create meaningful learning experiences. Our role is not simply to create learning for children, but to create it with them.

We see this in everyday moments. A child’s question might start a new investigation. An idea might change how a space is used. Something shared from home might open up new learning for the whole group.

There is a difference between asking a child what they think and being open to their thinking changing ours. Making space for children’s voices sometimes means being willing to go somewhere we hadn’t planned.

When we ask a question, are we looking for the answer we expect, or are we genuinely curious about where a child’s thinking might take us?

Our educators bring their knowledge, skills, experience and intention to their teaching. Children bring knowledge too. Creating learning together means making space for both, and being open to children’s ideas and experiences influencing where learning might go next.

Making space for every voice

Not every child shares their ideas in the same way. Some children readily tell us what they think. Others might take more time, communicate differently or show us what interests them through their play, actions and interactions.

For our educators, listening means being curious about all the different ways children contribute. It also means thinking about whose ideas we can see reflected in the learning. Who has helped shape what happens next? And whose perspective might we need to make more room for?

Making space for children’s voices doesn’t mean children make every decision. Our educators bring their knowledge and experience to guide and extend children’s learning, while creating genuine opportunities for children’s ideas, experiences and perspectives to be part of it.

Learning isn’t something that simply happens to children. It grows through relationships, conversations, questions, ideas and discoveries made together.

When children see their ideas, experiences and perspectives reflected in what happens around them, we show them that what they bring matters.

Their voice has a place here. And that is an important part of what it means to belong.