Friday, June 26, 2015

Philosophy for Children

I finished my first PD summer read: Bid Ideas for Little Kids.  I LOVE the idea of discussing philosophical questions with young learners.  It is something my family did around the dinner table as long as I can remember.  Not only do I believe kids capable of grappling with difficult questions, I think it is imperative to developing their own personal set of values.

The book is a quick read and I would recommend it, though I did find the first three chapters a tad condescending.  (Thomas Wartenberg, the author, feels the need to constantly reassure the reader, that though they are not philosophy majors, they can still teach philosophy. So much so it gives the feeling that he is implying that the reader is not quite as smart as he is...).  That being said, the rest of the chapters are very useful and immediately applicable to the elementary classroom.

If you're not feeling like investing $24.95 in the book, Thomas Wartenberg has made a wiki with all the important information, and more!  teachchildrenphilosophy.org