Perspective taking, the ability to see something from another person’s point of view, is essential in developing an appreciation for diversity and in promoting a more equitable and just society. Children aren’t born with this ability, and it takes time and support for them to appreciate the idea that others may see things in ways that differ from their own perspectives. There are strategies we can use to promote perspective taking, even with preschool and primary-age children.
One such strategy involves engaging children in philosophical discussions. While some may be surprised at the idea of introducing philosophy during the early childhood years, some programs—including “Philosophy for Children” (P4C)—have been successful in using philosophical discussions to help young children become more aware of differing perspectives. Such discussions are often based on carefully selected children’s literature.
Big Is Big (and Little, Little) by J. Patrick Lewis is one example of a book used in the P4C program. While this book focuses on opposites (big/little, dark/light, cool/hot, etc.), it also does an excellent job of showing how what others believe can differ based on different perspectives. For example, it shows how an adult giraffe thinks a tree is short, while the baby giraffe thinks it’s tall. It’s not hard for young children to see that both giraffes are right.
To help children apply the lesson from Big Is Big (and Little, Little) to people, you might introduce the idea of two children with differing interests. Tina thinks walking the dog is fun; Weston thinks walking the dog is a chore. In addition to helping children realize that it’s OK for Tina and Weston to have differing views about walking the dog, you can also encourage them to think of other examples of people having differing views on the same thing.
The P4C website includes lists of children’s books appropriate for different ages, including a list for “beginning philosophers.” Clicking on any one of the suggested books will take you to some questions you might use during the follow-up discussion.
Another strategy you might use to explore differing perspectives with young children is something I call “belief statements.” I used this strategy with a twofold purpose in mind: to help children explore their own ideas and to promote respect for the ideas of others. The belief statements I used were one-sentence statements about issues or ideas I wanted to explore with the children, such as fear, happiness, honesty and fairness. The following sentence is an example of a belief statement I used: “I believe that even people who do bad things have some good in them.” To encourage open-ended discussion, I asked “What do you think?” or “What does this mean to you?” questions instead of asking for agree-or-disagree responses.
At times, I invited the children to come up with their own belief statements. To assist them, I provided the beginning of a sentence and asked for their ideas on how to finish it. Here are several examples: “Being fair means …” and “Real heroes are …” (Check out “Not All Heroes Fight” for a discussion about exploring “real heroes” with young children.) However, in the course of these discussions, it is vital that teachers draw the line between encouraging students to listen to multiple perspectives and letting harmful statements, such as discriminatory views, go unchallenged. A belief that girls should be seen and not heard, for example, should be addressed as unacceptable.
By age 3, most children understand that other people have thoughts and ideas distinct from their own. They may not, however, accept the idea that the views of others are just as important as their own. Consider the idea of fairness, for example. We might define fairness as making judgments free from bias or discrimination. Yet, when a young child says, “That’s not fair,” what he or she might really mean is “I didn’t get what I wanted.”
Exploring differing perspectives with young children can broaden their thinking and lead to a consideration of all sides of an issue before jumping to conclusions. Exploring different perspectives can also lead to greater understanding of one’s self and others. This, in turn, can serve as a preventive measure to bullying and violence. As children explore the views of others and the rationale behind those views, they learn respect for ideas that differ from their own.
The Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children is a useful resource for working with young children, and a Young Children article, “Kindergartners Explore Spirituality” can be helpful in approaching differing religious perspectives with young children.
Here are some TT resources for helping older children understand different religious perspectives:
“Understanding Other Religious Beliefs”
“In Support of Different Beliefs”
“Diverse Beliefs in Homogenous Classrooms?”
Wilson is an educational consultant and curriculum writer.
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