Ethics for the very young : a philosophy curriculum for early childhood education / Erik Kenyon, Diane Terorde-Doyle, and Sharon Carnahan ; foreword by Thomas Wartenberg.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kenyon, Erik, 1980- author.

Terorde-Doyle, Diane, author.

Carnahan, Sharon, author.

Contributor:

Wartenberg, Thomas, writer of foreword.

Series:

Big ideas for young thinkers ; Number 1

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ethics--Study and teaching (Early childhood).

Ethics.

Philosophy--Study and teaching (Early childhood).

Philosophy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (173 pages).

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Maryland : Rowman & Littlefield, [2019]

Summary:

"Can you be brave if you’re afraid? Why do we “know better” and do things anyway? What makes a family? Philosophers have wrestled with such questions for centuries. They are also the stuff of playground debates. Ethics for the Very Young uses the perplexities of young children’s lives to spark philosophical dialogue. Its lessons scaffold discussion through executive function games (Telephone, Red Light Green Light), dialogic reading of picture books and Reggio Emilia’s art-based inquiry. In the process, children develop skills of dialogue and critical thinking through increased selective attention, self-control, cognitive flexibility and perspective taking. While the elements of this method are familiar, they are here fused into an organic whole grounded in the history of philosophy and defended by current work in developmental psychology. Building on Wartenberg’s Big Ideas for Little Kids, the present curriculum uses a series of 23 picture books to frame discussions of character, bravery, self-control, friendship, the greater good, respect and care. Its goal is not to “teach morals” but to help children articulate and develop their own perspectives through dialogue with each other. Each lesson presents teachers’ reflections on how this exploration of life's enduring questions transformed their school’s culture. " --Publisher's description.

Contents:

Foreword / Thomas Wartenberg

Part I: Integrating philosophy into early education. Origin of the project and acknowledgments

A case for integrating philosophy into early education. The challenge: Education for the twenty-first century

A philosopher's view of early education

A developmental psychologist's view of pre-K philosophy

Theory into practice: Bringing philosophy into early education. The philosophy rules

Framing questions and philosophical puzzles

Thinking with our bodies

How to use this book

Part II: Teaching ancient ethics. Lesson 1: Character

Lesson 2: Bravery

Lesson 3: Moderation and self-control

Lesson 4: Friendship

Part III: Teaching modern ethics. Lesson 5: Pleasure and the greater good

Lesson 6: Rules and respect

Lesson 7: Care

Postscript: Education as growth

Appendix: Overview of lessons and alternative storybooks

Bibliography

About the authors.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-4758-4812-9