Giving less-confident speakers frequent opportunities to talk to the class, by choosing them purposefully, can enable them to become more confident.
For example:
Josie, please will you read out our success criteria.
Manjum, what did you and your partner decide?
Which method do you prefer, Ryan?
Who is your favourite character in the story? [pause for thinking time] Amina?
Be sensitive and nurturing in your manner and your tone of voice.
What will happen when you remove the fear of being wrong?
Pupils feel that P4C helps them with everything from relationships to confidence to staying calm
Why giving out ‘talking objects’ is worth the hassle
Pupils tell us why they think their peers don’t raise their hands
Written from the perspective of a child with Selective Mutism, this book is well worth a read
Teachers’ reactions after starting Philosophy for Children with their classes
Three essential ingredients to ensure pupils have the confidence to speak in front of their peers
I’ve been working with a group of Manchester teachers to discover how to optimise P4C in the teaching and learning of English. It’s been lovely to hear from pupils and teachers about some really positive experiences.
