Philosophy in Classrooms and Beyond

Thomas E. Wartenberg is the author of Big Ideas for Little Kids: Teaching Philosophy Through Children’s Literature and A Sneetch Is a Sneetch and Other Philosophical Discoveries: Finding Wisdom in Children’s Literature. He is former President of PLATO, the United States philosophy for children organization, and was awarded the Merritt Prize in 2013 for his contributions to the philosophy of education.

The contribution of Philosophy in Classrooms and Beyond New Approaches to Picture-Book Philosophy edited byThomas E. Wartenberg is significant to our understanding of the process of philosophical thinking among young children, while contributing to critical, creative and caring thinking. The authors of the chapters present in a very unique way not only their own experience but also important insights which contribute to the branching study on the importance of philosophy with children and philosophy with learners throughout the world. The various contributions to this book discuss a variety of programs that have been influenced by the Big Ideas for Little Kids Program. All of the creators of these programs have picked and chosen among the Program's Big Ideas to develop their own innovative programs. The uniqueness of this profound book is mainly because we get the opportunity to hear the voices of practitioners who are also researchers, and especially the voices of the children - a voice of curiosity, a voice of depth and voice of the love of wisdom.

• Foreword by Roger SutcliffePreface: The Big Ideas for Little Kids ProgramIntroductionChapter 1: Bringing Undergraduates to Pre-School: An Ethics Course for the Very Youngby Erik KenyonChapter 2: Restoring Wonder: The Benefits and Challenges of Doing Philosophy in Mixed-aged Groups by Stephen Kekoa MillerChapter 3: Peace Building from Mali to Michigan by Stephen L. EsquithChapter 4: Helping Non-Philosophers Discuss Philosophy with Children: The Rotary Club Project by Ali BassiriChapter 5: High School Goes to Kindergarten and Beyond... by Mitchell Bickman and Laura TrongardChapter 6: A Difficulty in Training College Students as Facilitators by Daniel GrollChapter 7: Picture Books Go To College: Introducing Philosophy to Undergraduates by Thomas E. WartenbergList of Contributors