The paper is based on the research project "Mindplay- conversation for learning". The main research question was: how can teachers use dialogue methods with young children to enhance children’s interest and participation in dialogue? The main objective of the project was that teachers learned about different conversation methods to use with children, which could improve their ability and skills in using conversational practice in teaching. Secondly, to study the effect of these methods on daily practice and the children’s use of language in discussions as a tool for thinking collectively which might inspire them to use language effectively in everyday learning processes. The research project spanned two years and involved teachers, assistants, and children aged 2-5 years old. The project was a collaboration between one preschool and the University of Akureyri in Iceland.

The theoretical framework of the research is based on Philosophy for Children (P4C) and dialogue for learning. P4C is concerned with cognitive development in the context of shared inquiry through dialogue with philosophical topics. Research has shown that to develop language and conversation skills, young children need many different opportunities to talk and have conversations with peers and adults that enhance their skills in thinking, reasoning, communication, and collaboration. With the P4C approach, children explore and listen to stories which increases their curiosity and empowers them to participate in the dialogue. Furthermore, children’s literature is purposefully selected to contain “philosophical hooks” designed to inspire inquiry among children (Lipman, 1985; Mercer, 2000; Sapere, 2014; The Education Endowment Foundation, 2015). 

Qualitative research design using focus group discussions (Einarsdóttir, 2012; Lichtman, 2017) was used, with groups of the children and teachers as well as written records made by the teachers about the children's participation in the lessons, their play, and dialogue. The results described in this paper report findings from the preschools at the end of the project. Dialogue workshops were held over a two-year period where teachers practiced dialogue with children, the researchers also visited the school to observe the activities in the classes. Children's books, for example, were used in the research project in various ways to enhance conversation and creative thinking among the children.

The results show that the teachers and the children were, in general, happy with Mindplay. The teachers agreed that when they used dialogue teaching in the learning process, they noticed changes in the way the children interacted with others and how they used the language. They observed that the children showed more respect for one another’s opinions and used the spoken word to solve problems in the way they had learned in the lessons. The teachers argued that it was difficult to use conversation for learning with the youngest children, due to their lack of formal language skills, but they claimed that most of the children were able to take part in such lessons at the age of three. Conversation for learning is particularly important today in the global educational setting as the world faces many challenges, including digitalization in education, climate change, war, and increasing numbers of refugees. Conversation for learning encourages children to think critically, creatively, collaboratively, and caringly.

Einarsdóttir, J. (2012). Raddir barna í rannsóknum. RannUng & Háskólaútgáfan. Lichtman, M. (2017). Qualitative research in education: A user´s guide.Sage. Lipman, M. (1988). Philosophy goes to school. Philadelphia, Temple University Press. Mercer, N. (2000). Words and minds: How we use language to think together. Routledge. SAPERE. (2014). Society for the advancement of philosophical inquiry and reflection in education, https://www.sapere.org.uk/ The Education Endowment Foundation. (2015). Philosophy for children: Independent evaluation team, Durham university, https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/uploads/pdf/Philosophy_for_Children.pdf