Is it possible to access the ‘voice’ of pre‐school Children? Results of a research project in a pre‐school setting

This paper presents a rationale for consulting with very young children to enable their voices to be heard, and taken into consideration, when planning pre‐school provision. It goes on to suggest that the expressed preferences of pre‐school children can be taken as an accurate account of their thoughts and feelings. This is tested through a case study of six 4‐year‐olds in a nursery setting. The research enabled a comparison to be made between what the children said were their favourite areas of nursery life, and their preferences as noted by adults. In five out of six cases, adult perspectives were the same as child perspectives. The paper ends with some exploration of the factors that contribute to reliable consultation with very young children.