Children’s voices matter: What happens when educators truly listen
Blog topics unpacked:
A small moment with a big message | Children’s concerns are not interruptions | Hearing children as rights-holders | From conflict to collaboration | Children are capable problem-solvers | Genuinely listening | Reflection matters | Why children’s voices matter
In early childhood settings, children’s voices are not an ‘extra’ to the program — they are central to it. When educators genuinely listen to children, and see them through the lens of competency, we do more than solve a problem in the moment. We build belonging, strengthen agency, and create rich opportunities for authentic learning.
Here, Stephen Gallen from Cawongla Playhouse shares how a simple moment involving listening to a child’s question about a swing offers a powerful example of authentic learning to support Belonging, Being and Becoming.
A small moment with a big message
One morning, a new spiderweb swing was set up for the children. For many of the children, it was exciting and familiar. But for Kaleana, who had only recently started at the preschool, it was unexpected. She was used to the smaller individual swings and asked, “Where’s the little swings?”
It would have been easy to dismiss her concern with:
“You’ll be right.”
“Try this one instead.”
“We don’t have time for that now.”
But those kinds of responses can unintentionally silence children. They send the message that adult plans matter more than children’s feelings, preferences and experiences. Instead, the educator stopped and listened.
Children’s concerns are not interruptions
This moment reminds us that some of the most meaningful learning happens in everyday interactions, not only in planned experiences. What might look like a minor disruption — a child upset about a swing — is actually a moment full of learning about:
- communication
- emotional expression
- problem-solving
- negotiation
- fairness
- community participation
As the Early Years Learning Framework reminds us, curriculum is not just the planned activity, it is everything that happens in the learning environment throughout the day. When educators pause and respond to children’s real concerns, they are not stepping away from the curriculum. They are enacting it.
Hearing children as rights-holders
Listening to children is not only good practice — it is also a rights-based approach.
Kaleana didn’t need to ‘earn’ the right to be heard because her concern was developmentally significant or convenient for adults. She had the right to express her view simply because she is a child and a member of the learning community. Children have a right to be heard in matters that affect them.
So, when educators take children seriously, they model respect and affirm children’s agency and dignity.
For Kaleana, being listened to was about more than getting access to a preferred swing. It was about feeling:
- safe
- respected
- included
- that she belonged
And when children feel that they belong, they are more able to engage, participate and learn.
From conflict to collaboration
What made this moment especially powerful was that the educator didn’t frame it as ‘Kaleana’s problem’. Instead, the situation was named as a shared problem.
“We’ve got a problem”
That small shift matters. It moves the focus away from blame or individual demand towards collective problem-solving. It tells children:
- this is something we can work through together
- everyone’s perspective matters
- problems in a community can be solved as a community
And when children feel that they belong, they are more able to engage, participate and learn.
The educator then carefully restated what each child wanted, ensuring all voices were acknowledged. This helped reduce tension and made space for dialogue. Rather than imposing an adult solution straight away, the educator asked the children, “What can we do about it?”
This is where children’s competence became visible.
Children are capable problem-solvers
When children are trusted as capable contributors, they often surprise us. In this case, the children generated a solution that was better than the adults had first imagined: move the spiderweb swing to another area so both swing options could be available!
It was a genuine win-win.
Instead of one child losing out, the group worked together to create a solution that respected different needs and preferences. The children then helped make the plan happen by moving mats, considering safety, testing ideas and thinking through what was needed.
This was not just conflict resolution. It was authentic learning in action, all because an educator chose to listen. The children were able to engage in:
- collaborative decision-making
- practical reasoning
- spatial thinking
- risk assessment
- responsibility
- teamwork
Genuinely listening
Listening to children doesn’t mean stepping back completely. It means being intentional in how we support children to participate. In this example, the educator used scaffolding to guide the process by:
1. naming the problem
2. clarifying each person’s perspective
3. inviting possible solutions
4. supporting the children to act on their ideas
This approach helps children do more than they might manage alone, respecting their thinking while recognising the educator’s important role in guiding learning.
Reflection matters
In this situation, the educator acknowledged they hadn’t anticipated Kaleana’s reaction beforehand. But rather than seeing that as failure, they recognised reflection as part of professional practice. In busy learning environments, educators can’t predict or discuss everything. What matters is the willingness to notice, respond and reflect afterwards:
- what happened?
- why did it matter?
- how did the children experience it?
- what can we learn from it?
Reflection helps educators become more responsive over time and more attuned to children’s perspectives.
Why children’s voices matter
When children’s voices are valued, early childhood settings become places where children learn that:
- their ideas matter
- their feelings are valid
- they can influence what happens around them
- they can work with others to solve problems
- they belong
These are not small lessons. They are foundational for identity, wellbeing and participation in community life. Children’s voices matter because children matter.
The story of Kaleana and the swings reminds us that authentic learning often begins in ordinary moments — a question, a concern, a disagreement, a pause. When educators listen closely, resist the urge to dismiss, and invite children into shared problem-solving, those ordinary moments become powerful opportunities for learning and belonging.
Sometimes the real program is not what we planned but the child standing in front of us, asking to be heard.
Get the tools for you and children to thrive
Change from the hectic pace of the Educational Program and pressure of documentation. Grow in expertise and confidence as an educator to support real and meaningful learning for children. Reflect on current practices in NQS QA1 and start seeing the joy and rewards of your role as an educator.
