In what ways do children experience power?
The Mill Children’s Centre Nursery and St Vigor & St John Primary School wanted to explore the transition from pre-school to school. We worked with nine children from nursery and five from reception class, visiting an outdoor area within the school grounds each week. We became interested in ideas of personal and physical challenge, leadership and how the children experienced a sense of their own power. Finding a language to talk about how the children appeared to extend themselves, grow into their capacities and ‘come into their own’ was an ongoing conversation. – Were the children exercising “Power over”, “Power to” or “Power with”? – Was a child’s power intrinsic or extrinsic? Some children used role-play to explore their influence and capacity, others extended themselves through physical challenges. We tried to widen options and encourage the development of narrative through reflection and storytelling.
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