Seen and Not Heard: Why Children's Voices Matter

by Jana Mohr Lone

How might society benefit if children were recognized as independent thinkers, capable of seeing clearly and contributing in valuable ways to our world? How would children's lives change if what they said was not often ignored or patronized? In the United States and around the world, ageism remains a widespread prejudice, leading us to make assumptions about, dismiss, and underestimate the perspectives of people of particular ages, including children. Before they utter a word, their voices are judged as less important than those of adults, or as not important at all. In a series of conversations with children about many of life's important philosophical questions, Seen and Not Heard reveals children as perceptive and original thinkers. Guided by discussions about the meaning of childhood, friendship, justice and fairness, happiness, and death, the book invites us to rethink our beliefs about children and become more receptive to the ways we can learn from the children in our lives.

Genres: Philosophy

224 pages, Hardcover

Published April 26, 2021

About the author

Jana Mohr Lone is director of the Center for Philosophy for Children, an academic research center dedicated to research and practice in philosophy for children and philosophy of childhood, and Affiliate Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Washington. She has been teaching philosophy to students from preschool to graduate school for 25 years. She is the author of the books Seen and Not Heard (2021) and The Philosophical Child (2012); co-author of the textbook Philosophy in Education: Questioning and Dialogue in Schools (2016); co-editor of Philosophy and Education: Introducing Philosophy to Young People (2012); and she has written numerous articles about children’s philosophical thinking. She is the founding president of PLATO (Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization) and the founding editor-in-chief of the journal Questions: Philosophy for Young People.

Reviews

[Parinaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

من واقعا عاشق مجموعه‌های کودک نشرلگام اما این کتاب ترجمه‌ش افتضاح بود.

[Owlseyes]

https://aeon.co/essays/how-to-do-phil...

[Joseph Sverker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that every parent should read. It is also a book that every adult working with children should read. I have read a fair amount on theology and children up until this point and it has struck me that it is very rarely that people manage to actually do theology together with the children's voices and views. Jana Mohr Lone really makes philosophy with and out of her conversations with children. It is the children's philosophy and it is also hers. It is well written, well researched and very thoughtful - which is of course due to Mohr Lone herself, but I think, even more is due to the children's insightfulness. I am longing to do something along the line of Seen and Not Heard but within theology and worldview research. I have look long and hard for a book like this and I am so happy that found Jana Mohr Lone's research and writing.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very inspiring. I liked how the author divided the chapters into different topics and concepts and shared the voices of children, their strength as critical thinkers, their ability to respond to each other with care and their ability to listen intently in a community and build on each other’s ideas. I also liked the author’s humility and what she shares she’s learned from listening to the voices of the students.

The book is very well researched with quotes from other authors, poets, philosophers, and public figures. Their quotes fit very neatly and logically in her writing. Many of the quotes were very beautifully written and pleasing to ponder over. Her index of references are very neatly organized.

Top 3 reasons to read this book summed up:
1. To know more about the value in children engaging in a community of philosophical inquiry
2. To get a sense of children’s ideas and reasoning (real transcripts and plenty of examples which you could also model to your students)
3. To get ideas of stimuli and how they could benefit children in philosophical discussion