Philosophy for Children

The heart of our model: critical, ethical and creative thinking

The axis of our educational model is Philosophy for Children, a program through which students reflect and build critical, ethical and creative thinking. It encourages listening and dialogue, and fosters the careful thinking that makes a child aware of themselves and of the world around them.

What it is and where it comes from

Philosophy for Children is an educational program created by philosopher Matthew Lipman in the 1970s, and today it's practiced in schools around the world. Its central idea is simple: children already ask philosophical questions — what is fair, what is a friend, why things are the way they are — and school can help them think those questions through better.

What a session looks like

The group sits in a circle, reads or listens to a story and proposes its own questions. One is chosen and discussed: each child gives reasons, listens to the others and may change their mind. The teacher guides the dialogue but doesn't supply the right answer, because often there isn't one. That way of working is called a community of inquiry.

Preschool students at Colegio Encinos sitting in a circle on the grass, raising their hands to take part — Philosophy for Children: everyone has something to say.

What it builds

Critical thinking, to tell a good reason from a weak one; creative thinking, to imagine alternatives; and caring thinking, which means listening to others and taking their feelings into account. These are skills that show up in reading, in math and, above all, in how children get along.

Why it's the axis and not just another class

Because the way of talking learned in the session is used all day: settling a conflict in the yard, working as a team, or explaining how you reached an answer. At Encinos, asking «why?» is a good thing.