{"id":1443,"date":"2026-08-30T22:52:36","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T12:52:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/?p=1443"},"modified":"2026-08-30T22:52:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T12:52:36","slug":"cvc2026-742","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/cvc2026-742\/","title":{"rendered":"CVC2026-742 \u2013 Looking to hear: Engagement, dialogue, and encounters unpacking children\u2019s voices in the context of play"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"cvc-hero alignfull\">\n  <span class=\"cvc-chip\">Presentation \u2013 CVC2026-742<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\">Looking to hear: Engagement, dialogue, and encounters unpacking children\u2019s voices in the context of play<\/h1>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<div class=\"cvc-authors\">\n<p><strong>Brooke Bailey,<\/strong> East Maitland Preschool, Australia<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jodie Cox, <\/strong>East Maitland Preschool, Australia<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<div class=\"ast-oembed-container \" style=\"height: 100%;\"><iframe title=\"CVC2026-742 Looking to hear: Engagement, dialogue, and encounters unpacking children\u2019s voices in the\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/re2mPc_sLrU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<p><strong>Background: <\/strong>In 2023, we were invited to contribute to the project Children\u2019s Perspectives in Early Childhood Pedagogy, Policy and Practice, led by the Early Childhood Office Research and Evaluation Team for the NSW Department of Education. The project centred on children\u2019s rights to be active participants in early childhood settings by creating meaningful opportunities to seek, hear, and consider children\u2019s perspectives.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Aim: <\/strong>Our contribution focused on gathering children\u2019s perspectives on physical environments and what children need from educators. As we began this work, we reflected on what \u201cchildren\u2019s voice\u201d looks like within the context of play. This prompted us to expand our understanding of voice beyond verbal communication to include children\u2019s play, shared dialogue, encounters with materials, and interactions with peers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Method\/approach:<\/strong> Using open-ended materials, art mediums, and collaboration, children expressed ideas in unexpected ways. These materials enabled children to symbolise, interpret, and communicate their thinking creatively. While our initial focus was on physical spaces, the project evolved to explore children\u2019s perspectives on what they need from teachers\/educators. Ethics: Institutional approval was provided by the NSW DET.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Results\/findings: <\/strong>The project revealed several key insights. Children\u2019s perspectives are also communicated through moments of \u201cbeing\u201d, choice, autonomy, and their connections to place. The process reinforced the importance of reflective practice, ensuring educators remain open to perspectives that may challenge adult assumptions or agendas.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Conclusion: <\/strong>Since engaging in the project, we have further considered ways to advocate for children\u2019s rights and to share children\u2019s voices through the visual arts. Recently, we were selected to exhibit children\u2019s work at our local gallery. This exhibition will advocate for children as artists and citizens.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Implications for children and families: <\/strong>Children are competent and capable and have a right to share their voice in diverse ways. Connection and relationship are integral in meaningful engagement.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Implications for practitioners:<\/strong> Practitioners are invited to broaden their understanding of \u2018children\u2019s voice\u2019. Children\u2019s voices show up in many ways through early childhood contexts and through play.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Keywords<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> children\u2019s perspectives, children\u2019s voice, early childhood pedagogy, play-based learning, child agency, reflective practice, visual arts, children\u2019s rights, encounters, engagement<\/p>\n<p><strong>This presentation relates to the following <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/goals\/goal13\"><strong>United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<ul class=\"cvc-sdgs\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/goals\/goal4\">SDG 4: Quality Education<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/goals\/goal10\">SDG 10: Reducing Inequalities<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brooke Bailey, East Maitland Preschool, Australia; Jodie Cox, East Maitland Preschool, Australia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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