Participation in the early years

Participation and learning

The Participation and Learning website has been developed in partnership with Save the Children and offers support and ideas on developing participation in nurseries and schools.

The Mosaic approach

Alison Clark is a researcher investigating different methods of empowering children to express and share their views in early years centres. 'Listening to Young Children: The Mosaic Approach' by Alison Clark and Peter Moss is the report of a research project which pieces together information from observations in the playroom and interviews with staff, parents and children, as well as using children’s photographs, maps and tours to obtain a full picture of children’s views. Published by the National Children's Bureau (NCB), it is an easy-to-read, hands-on book useful for anyone thinking about how to develop participation with young children.

'Spaces to Play: More listening to young children using the Mosaic approach', also by Alison Clark and Peter Moss, is the report of a research project, funded by the Bernard van Leer Foundation and the Carnegie Trust, which focuses on children’s views on outdoor learning.

This report, also from the NCB, includes useful detail on the process of consulting the children in this Kent pre-school centre. Innovative methods included the use of children taking and then discussing photographs, tours by children of important places in the centre, map making, a ‘magic carpet’ area created to fly over important places in the community, use of animal toy props and interviews with staff and parents.

Listening resources

This useful guide, 'Learning to listen: Core principles for the involvement of children and young people', published by DfES in 2001, details the principles on which effective participation is based.

Several other publications from the NCB provide guidance and support on listening to young children. 

'Listening to Four Year Olds - How they can help us plan their care and education' is by Jacqui Cousins. Using children's own words, she helps us to interpret what children are really saying and shows how their views can be used to plan their care and education. 

The NCB has also produced 'Listening as a way of life', a series of leaflets on listening to children. Each leaflet covers a specific theme such as children’s views on the food they eat and approaching participation with babies. This useful series can be downloaded from the NCB website.