ABSTRACT
Children’s thinking is both complex and fascinating. Fisher (1995) suggests that education has sometimes worked against the development of thinking by promoting the idea that learning involves simply being told. He gives the example of a child saying ‘I think in the playground when I go out to play’ (Fisher 1995: ix).The idea of an empty brain, passively waiting for thoughts to be delivered does not match with current neuroscientific knowledge. Nor is it in line with the effective practice required in the foundation stage (DfES 2007: 4.3), which highlights the importance of making connections and of sustained shared thinking.
