Listening to Children
The verb to listen is commonly defined as “to give attention to someone or something to hear him/her” (Cambridge Dictionary). However, when we discuss pedagogical listening, this definition falls short.
Listening to young children is not a passive activity. It’s a deliberate, nuanced, and deeply relational act. Before we can truly listen, we need to examine our underlying view of the child:
Are they an empty vessel waiting to be filled with information?
A unique individual whose abilities emerge in the right environment?
A meaning-maker, constantly trying to make sense of the world?
How we perceive children directly influences how we support their development. So, ask yourself:
Is teaching something you do to the child?
Is your curriculum fixed, adult-driven, and inflexible?
Or do you see yourself as a co-constructor of knowledge, learning with the child?
Are you ready to follow their questions, interests, and needs—even when they lead you off the planned path?
Observation: The Foundation of Listening
Truly listening begins with observation—noticing facial expressions, gestures, tone, interactions, body language, and engagement. What catches your attention? What questions emerge? What do you feel, think and wonder about as you observe?
Children are skilful communicators. Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Emilia approach, spoke of the hundred languages of children, representing the many ways (dancing, drawing, drama, storytelling, constructing, etc.) they express, explore, connect with and understand the world around them (Krechevsky et al., 2013). Our role as educators is to tune in to these languages, not just hear words.
Listening is understood to be an active process of communication that involves hearing, interpreting, and constructing meanings. It is not limited to the spoken word (Clark, 2005).
Listening Is a Relationship
Listening isn’t a one-time act; it can be viewed as a spiral process that evolves and develops over time, growing with the relationship. The better we know the child, the better we can understand their needs and interests, ultimately support their holistic learning and development.
This kind of listening requires intention, empathy, questioning and inquiry.
Learning Through Listening: A Personal Reflection
Much of what I know about children hasn’t come from books. It comes from listening to them.
I recently worked with a four year old child who avoided the art area—painting, collage, junk art, and anything else it had to offer. My listening raised the question of whether it was an aversion to this type of play, or whether, developmentally, he was not ready for the fine physical act of holding a paintbrush or using scissors. He typically gravitated towards the construction area, building large structures and loved making obstacle courses in the garden, both activities requiring significant movement. I wondered what his response might be if I introduced him to large, whole-body art?
So, I set up an opportunity to engage in outdoor art: wallpaper, domestic brushes, mini rollers, buckets of paint. He hesitated at first, but soon, he was splatting and rolling daily. Surprisingly, some weeks later, he began exploring the art materials on offer indoors.
Was it improved motor control or simply newfound confidence? I didn’t know for certain, but what I did know was that something had shifted. My observations, thoughts and actions were discussed with the other educators. Outdoor art became a staple in our environment, offering an alternative entry point for many children.
Seeing Children as Beings, Not Just Becomings
We must remember: children are beings, not just becomings. They are not incomplete adults in the making—they are fully present, complex individuals right now. Our ethos and practice must reflect this.
When we truly listen, we let go of assumptions. We remain open. And in that openness, we create space for connection, discovery, and meaning.
The Reggio Emilia Approach often refers to the pedagogy of listening as a pedagogy of relationships. This concept of listening plays a dual role: it helps build relationships, but it’s also the foundation that makes those relationships possible in the first place (Rinaldi, 2021).
In other words, listening is not just a teaching method—it’s a way of being that emerges through reflection and real-time interaction. It’s shaped by the people involved and evolves through ongoing experiences. That makes it hard to define in strict theoretical terms. Listening is both the path and the destination—a process of continuous exploration and action.
This dual nature, what some might call ambiguity, is seen as a strength in the Reggio Emilia approach. It encourages educators to make intentional, thoughtful choices, not just in practice but in values and direction. These choices are not just educational, they’re political in the sense that they reflect deeper beliefs about children, learning, and society.
Loris Malaguzzi called this “a right ambiguity”, a way of being open to complexity on purpose. It reflects the approach of not needing one clear answer, but instead accepting that there can be many different meanings and perspectives (Dahlberg et al., 2007; Bauman, 1991). Listening, in this context, is more than a skill—it’s a mindset. It’s about empathy, openness, and holding back judgment (Rinaldi, 2021). As a result, listening becomes a fundamental quality of the learning environment. It’s not always spelt out or formally taught, but it shapes how educators relate to children and one another. It becomes a shared way of thinking and being, embedded in everyday practice. Our environments need to support everyday listening to young children.
Adults with expertise who respectfully watch children engaged in their process of living, learning, loving and being are in a better position to understand what it is these youngest citizens are trying to say and find ways of helping them to say it (Nutbrown, 1996, p.55)
When we listen, we don’t take anything for granted, thereby keeping open the door to further meaning.
References
Bauman, Z. (1991). Modernity and Ambivalence, Polity Press.
Clark*, A. (2005) ‘Listening to and involving young children: a review of research and practice’, Early Child Development and Care, 175(6), pp. 489–505. doi: 10.1080/03004430500131288.
Dahlberg, G., Moss, P., & Pence, A. (2007) Beyond Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care. London: Routledge.
Edwards, C., Gandini, L. and Forman, G. eds., 2011. The hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia experience in transformation, Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
Krechevsky, M., Mardell, B., Rivard, M., and Wilson, D. (2013) Visible Learners: Promoting Reggio-Inspired Approaches in All Schools, San Francisco, USA; Jossey-Bass
Nutbrown. C. (Ed) (1996) Children’s tights and early education, London, England; Paul Chapman
Rinaldi, C. (2021) In dialogue with Reggio Emilia : listening, researching and learning / Carlina Rinaldi. 2nd ed. London, England ; Routledge.
