Glen Education Brady Road 

Respecting children's voices and choices.

By Yan Li, Early Childhood Teacher

Respecting and incorporating children's voices in kinder programs is crucial for fostering their engagement, agency, and development. At Brady Road Kindergarten, we value the importance of children’s contributions to program and respect children's voices and choices that impact on them. We empower children, by using their thoughts and ideas to develop and enhance the program.  Here are two examples to show how our Brady Road kinder incorporates children’s voices in play and learning.

We recently needed to change the pretend play setup, and our kinder children were invited to contribute to some ideas for setting up. In the meeting time, we used mind maps to document children’s voices about pretend play areas. Through interactive conversations with them, we decided to change it to a pizza restaurant. The children contributed all ideas to the setting up. They suggested to add in pretend play pizza resources, vegetables, dining table, chairs, menus, chef hats and costumes, etc. Considering children’s input, we implemented their ideas into play experience, which guides the plan for children’s extensive learning. As extensive learning, we talked about health eating, had 

pizza cooking experience etc. We noticed that children were more engaged and motivated to participate in the project because it was based on their interests. This increased their enthusiasm for learning. By having a say in the direction of the project, children developed a sense of ownership over their learning, which enhanced their commitment and effort.

At Glen Brady Road Kinder, children were given a choice of various experiences to engage in such as drawing, building with blocks, dress up play, etc. Children were encouraged to vote on which experience they wanted to do each day. They also had the opportunity to suggest new experiences or materials they wanted to explore. Allowing children to make choices helped them feel empowered and confident in their abilities. They learned to make decisions and understand their preferences.Through a range of experiences, children developed various skills, including fine motor skills, social skills, and cognitive skills, all while engaging in their preferred experiences.

We advocate for children’s rights at Brady Road Kinder. Teaching children about their rights is crucial for helping them understand their value and the values of respect, empathy, and justice. We encourage children to ask questions and express their thoughts about rights. Let them know it’s okay to talk about their feelings and concerns. We include children in discussions about decisions that affect them. This practice helps them understand their right to have a voice and be heard.