Participation in the early years

Research has shown that the process of how we go about seeking and responding to children’s views is vital to give them a positive experience of active citizenship. Children need to:

• understand the purpose of their participation
• have an enjoyable experience of the process, which is at an appropriate level
• have the right to choose not to participate
• believe that the adults who are seeking their views really value them
• have feedback on how their views informed practice and, if their suggestions couldn’t be implemented, understand why.

Examples of participation by young children

• Daily interaction between practitioners and children which seeks, respects and is influenced by children’s views and opinions
• One-off consultations to seek children’s views
• Ongoing consultations with children - for example on the layout of the playroom or an area within the nursery
• Groups of children identifying issues important to them in their community and taking action on these issues. Some early years settings have become involved in campaigns to remove graffiti or reduce the speed limits outside their nursery
• Children reviewing their early years centre service
• Children being consulted on policies of the centre - from behaviour policies to equal opportunities. Practitioners in Stirling used play people and maps of the nursery to engage children in discussions about equal opportunities in their centre
• Children reflecting with their parents/carers on their learning and development and feeding their views into a nursery annual review and development plan
• Children using disposable and digital cameras to express their likes and dislikes about play activities
• Dot voting using coloured stickers, marbles in jars or post-it notes to make the process of decision making more visual

To see how Glenwood Nursery put this into practice, read the case study 'Children make decisions'.