ABSTRACT
For early childhood educators, despite concerns about philosophy's relevance for young children, the growing interest in philosophical enquiry has led them to consider its appropriateness for the early childhood context. This chapter examines the extent to which the pedagogy of Philosophy for Children (P4C) overlaps with early childhood education pedagogies and, with specific reference to the English Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), how philosophical enquiry in the early childhood classroom could help teachers address curriculum aims and goals. The nature, content and priorities of early childhood education programmes understandably vary depending on government aims and policies, together with historical and current philosophical influences. The chapter concludes by arguing that while tensions remain between the educational goals of P4C and early childhood education programmes, there is sufficient overlap between the two to warrant its use in the early childhood context.
