Judgements on young children by early years practitioners: working with phronêsis

Various instruments that have the aim of assessing children even from a very young age are constantly being developed. We argue that these instruments and assessment processes risk removing judgement from educators and teachers. Using the Aristotelian concept of phronêsis, we argue that teachers need to develop a habit of engaging with practical judgments with children. This is done through being attentive to children, that gives us the possibility to ‘see the ordinary world around us’ [Smith, R. 1999. ‘Paths of Judgment: The Revival of Practical Wisdom.’ Educational Philosophy and Theory 31 (3): 327–340, 334].