Listen: How Child and Student Voice Can Change the World

Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989) articulates every child’s right to have their voice heard in matters that affect them. Yet acceptance of this right is sometimes slow and there are barriers to effective implementation.

This vitally important book aims to accelerate acceptance of this right by bridging the gap between theory and practice, empowering adults to act as advocates and facilitators of children using their voices within our homes, schools, and wider communities.

Divided into thirteen chapters, Listen invites readers to connect the concept of ’child and student voice’ meaningfully with the development of all children’s physical voices and modes of communication. Topics explored include, but are not limited to:

• Current research on student voice, including an examination of public speaking within primary schools
• Advocating for a school-wide focus on supporting student voice
• Best practice and pedagogical approaches to facilitating public speaking in the classroom
• The benefits and drawbacks of debate, including how to use it appropriately and assessing when to employ other techniques
• Creating a supportive learning environment where students may overcome their anxieties about public speaking.

An essential read for parents, teachers, teaching assistants and senior leaders, Listen proposes a pedagogical approach to supporting student voice that is backed by current research yet firmly rooted in practical application.

Siobhán Keenan Fitzgerald is a school principal of a Dublin City University (DCU) ’changemaker’ school and holds over thirty years teaching experience in Ireland and internationally. Siobhán is also a TEDx and award-winning speaker. She created the ’LET’s Stand’ public speaking programme and podcast.