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Notes from the Field  
Philosophy on the Radio and the Little Thinkers Society 

 
 
Özge Özdemir 
 

 
Abstract: This article is about a radio program called Little Thinkers Society that has been 
running for five years with children at Açık Radyo, an independent radio station in 
Istanbul. The radio program's goal is to engage children in philosophical inquiries on 
various questions and concepts and to share their voices with a wider audience. The article 
provides detailed information on how the radio program was created, planned, and 
executed. It also presents quantitative data to demonstrate the program's impact, and 
qualitative reports to evaluate its effect on children, educators, and the broader 
community. The article evaluates how Little Thinkers Society, which brings the philosophy 
for/with children sessions held in the classroom to the radio studio, contributes to the 
development of children's critical and creative thinking abilities, along with caring and 
collaborative social skills. 
Keywords: Matthew Lipman, Philosophy for/with Children, P4/wC, Açık Radio, Little 
Thinkers Society, a radio show with children. 

 
t has been almost fifty years since Matthew Lipman, along with Ann Margaret Sharp, 
developed an educational program that introduced philosophical inquiries into schools as a 
practice.1 This program is now known as Philosophy for/with Children (P4/wC) and has 

spread globally with new approaches in both theory and practice. Various studies have been carried 
out in the field, especially on practices with children in schools and teacher training. Including lesson 
plans, teaching materials, books, research papers, competitions, films, digital content, and radio 
programs, the production in the field continues through many channels and more people are getting 
involved in this movement. As one of the people who initiated the recognition of P4/wC in Turkey, I 
have been orchestrating programs inspired by this movement since 2014. In this article, I will describe 
only one of these works, the radio program called Little Thinkers Society, which we conducted with 
children on Açık Radio.2 
 

The inspiration for the Little Thinkers Society program began with an invitation to participate 
in Professor Güven Güzeldere's program on Açık Radio in March 2018.3 At the time, I had recently 

 
1 In his autobiographical book, Matthew Lipman explains how they developed the Philosophy for/with Children 
curriculum at Montclair State University (Lipman, 2008, p. 124-152) 
2 The original name of the program is Küçük Düşünürler Topluluğu. (https://acikradyo.com.tr/program/kucuk-dusunurler-
toplulugu) 
3 Güven Güzeldere, who is a professor of philosophy and a faculty member at Harvard University, has been hosting a 
program on Açık Radio called Açık Bilinç (Open Consciousness) covering topics in science and philosophy since 2012. 
(https://acikradyo.com.tr/program/acik-bilinc) 

I 

https://acikradyo.com.tr/program/kucuk-dusunurler-toplulugu
https://acikradyo.com.tr/program/kucuk-dusunurler-toplulugu
https://acikradyo.com.tr/program/acik-bilinc


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published the first two books in a series of philosophy books for children with Redhouse Kidz 
Publications and was also running a P4/wC trainer training program at Boğaziçi University. 
Güzeldere, who was familiar with my work, invited me to his program and I attended with two 
students from my class. After receiving positive feedback, we talked about the idea of creating a 
program on the radio where we do philosophy with children. Over the course of a year, this idea 
evolved into the Little Thinkers Society program. On November 6, 2019, my four twelve-year-old 
students and I broadcast the first episode. 

 
The Little Thinkers Society program is a philosophical inquiry program that I conduct with four 

of my students every year. We create a program consisting of thirteen episodes with a new group of 
students each year. Our primary goal, as mentioned in the program's opening theme, is “to engage in 
philosophical inquiries with children on different questions and concepts.” We bring the 
philosophical inquiry into the recording studio as Lipman and Sharp brought it to the classroom. As 
is known, the Philosophy for/with Children method focuses on enhancing children's critical and 
creative thinking skills through the exploration of philosophical questions and concepts. Moreover, it 
aims to foster communication and cooperation skills from an early age for democratic development 
and civic participation (Lipman, 2003, p.94-100). We kept these objectives in mind while creating the 
radio program.  

 
We typically begin each episode with a story and engage in a discussion around the question or 

concept that arises from the conflict in the story. We avoid using technical jargon and strive to create 
a space where children can think critically, justify their thoughts, reason effectively, listen to each 
other respectfully, and review their ideas. Our session is not just a casual conversation or a heated 
debate about a topic, but rather a deliberate effort to encourage children's intellectual growth and 
social development. As Lipman states, it is a study that aims at “the growth of reasonableness (in 
personal) and democracy (in social character)” (Lipman, 2017, p. 6). The recording studio is similar to 
a classroom, where we study and learn, but it also offers the opportunity to take our work beyond the 
classroom, to share it with a wider audience, and to preserve it as permanent work. 

 
We don't make any significant preparations before the recording to keep the excitement of the 

discussion alive. Sometimes, I start the discussion with a thought experiment, a picture book, or a 
philosophical claim. Other times, children come to the program with a philosophical question or 
concept on their minds. Sometimes, we think together and decide what to discuss before the program. 
As the program is not broadcast live, we do not have guests who connect to the program live and ask 
questions. Hence, in each episode, we set the question for that day and discuss it for around twenty-
five minutes. Throughout the discussion, children express their ideas, listen to each other, create 
opposing ideas, and work together to better understand the topic. I clarify their assumptions, deepen 
the discussion with new questions, and preserve the conceptual framework of the discussion. In 
summary, in each episode, we produce a short but condensed version of a P4/wC session held in the 
classroom. The program has received positive feedback, so we have not needed to make any 
substantial changes to its main structure over the years. However, since we work with a new group of 
children in each broadcast season, the children’s personalities and their relationships with each other 
bring a unique element to the show. 

 



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We experience the most challenging process of preparing for the program at the beginning of 
the broadcast season. It's difficult to determine the dates when we will record in the studio and 
arrange transportation for the children to and from the radio station. Many variables come into play, 
such as the setting of available dates for the recording studio and arranging shuttle drivers. During this 
process, we collaborate with radio staff, school administrators, and parents to make everything work 
smoothly. We always work well as a team because everyone is enthusiastic about the work we do. 

 
We can gauge the impact of our program, which is now in its fifth year, by analyzing some data.4 

We have created the program with four different children in each broadcast period, meaning that 
twenty children have participated in the program as broadcasters so far. We release thirteen episodes 
in each broadcast period, which means that we will have recorded and discussed sixty-five episodes by 
the end of this year. Although we are unable to measure the number of listeners who tune in during 
the broadcasting time, we can examine the listening rates on digital media platforms since the 
episodes are broadcast indefinitely. As of now, the episodes that have been released have been 
downloaded roughly fifty-five thousand times. Some episodes have even been downloaded almost two 
thousand times. We have listeners from over fifty countries, but ninety percent of the listeners are 
from Turkey since the program is broadcast in Turkish. It has also been listened to in Germany, 
America, England, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Despite our lack of advertisements or promotions, 
we can say that the program has been listened to significantly. One of the reasons for this is the 
identity of the radio we broadcast on. Açık Radio has been broadcasting voluntarily with an 
independent approach for nearly thirty years in Istanbul. This radio focuses on the global climate 
crisis, war and peace, the struggle for rights, culture, art, and music. The radio's listeners and 
programmers are people who care about these issues, value independent thinking, and are interested 
in alternative perspectives. So, I would like to express once again the success of our long-term 
collaboration and the mutual satisfaction we feel from working together. 
 

I designed the Little Thinkers Society program with the primary goal of showcasing a philosophy 
for/with children session held in the classroom. Moreover, I aimed to challenge conventional 
thoughts about children and philosophy and demonstrate that both can be integrated well together. 
Over time, we have largely achieved this goal, as evidenced by the observation and evaluation reports I 
have conducted. We can examine the impact of the program on children, educators, and the broader 
community to see how successful it has been. 
 
The Impact of the Program on Children 
 

The Little Thinkers Society program has had a significant impact on the twenty children who 
participated in it. We hold an evaluation meeting with the children at the end of each broadcast 
period, and the feedback I receive from them is overwhelmingly positive. They express joy and pride 
in having an authentic experience in their school life and take their work on the radio seriously, 
almost like professionals. They report that meeting and chatting with other people during the radio 
visits enriches their lives. They also mention that they feel good hearing compliments and support 
from their relatives at home, teachers, and friends at school. The historical district of Tophane, where 

 
4 The data was collected on April 12, 2024, from transistor.fm, a podcast publishing and management platform of which the 
radio is registered. (https://dashboard.transistor.fm/shows/kucuk-dusunurler-toplulugu) 

https://dashboard.transistor.fm/shows/kucuk-dusunurler-toplulugu


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the radio station is located, and the time spent in that neighborhood are some of the feedback they 
express the most. They particularly mention the historical bakery we visited after the program, the 
small celebrations held in small cafes, and the funny events they experienced on the school bus while 
coming to the radio station as unforgettable memories in their lives. Here are some of the answers we 
received from them: 

 
Saba: “The time we spent on this radio was great. Something like magic happened in our lives.” 
 
Mithatcan: “The supportive words of my family, teachers, and friends made me very proud.” 
 
Nural Atacan: “I would like to listen to these recordings after ten years, it would be nice to see 

the difference.” 
 
Ömer Faruk: “Instead of being sad about the end of the program, I prefer to be happy that I 

experienced something like this.” 
 
Kuzey Sarp: “I think it is a great chance to take part in such a program.” 
 
Defne İpek: “Determining the topic we would discuss while coming to the radio always gave me 

the excitement that we were doing a great job. I felt like a very mature person here.” 
 
Mehmet Alp: “This experience added so much to me that, first of all, I learned to be calm and 

careful.” 
 
Hüseyin Kaan: “I am no longer ashamed when talking to others, this has been the biggest gain for 

me.” 
 
Ece: “Radio days were both fun and proud.” 
 
The radio program has a positive impact on the children who tune in. Based on the messages 

received from both children and parents, they enjoy listening to their peers and getting excited about 
their ideas. Some children even follow the program regularly and show interest in participating. 
Though we may only be able to reach a small number of children, we are pleased to know that our 
program is having a big impact on them. 

 
The Impact of the Program on Educators 
 

The radio program has a positive impact on teachers and P4/wC practitioners. Each episode of 
the program serves as an example of a lesson plan and a facilitation model for educators to 
understand what philosophical inquiry is and how it differs from other inquiries. When educators 
and parents listen to the episodes, they can observe children taking the following steps in a 
philosophical inquiry: expressing their ideas, listening to others, respectfully challenging others' 
thoughts, stating their assumptions, providing good reasons, making inferences, and following the 
inquiry. In many episodes, they can also identify the facilitator taking the following steps: being open 



ANALYTIC TEACHING AND PHILOSOPHICAL PRAXIS VOLUME 44, ISSUE 1 (2024) 

  
 

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to new ideas, positioning herself as a co-inquirer, asking open-ended questions, making assumptions 
explicit, encouraging justification, enabling alternative perspectives to emerge, recognizing 
distinctions, enabling connections to be made, maintaining the framework of the discussion, and 
continuing the inquiry and dialogue. The long-term objective of the Philosophy for/with Children 
method is not merely polite forms of thought and communication, but genuine attempts to critique 
and create, to care and collaborate. By listening to many episodes, an educator has the opportunity to 
see these aspects of thinking holistically and understand how these thinking skills improve over time. 

 
The radio program has a significant impact not only on educators but also on educational 

institutions. The children who participate in the program are students of Erkan Ulu Schools, where I 
have been an academic consultant for five years. At Erkan Ulu Schools, the Philosophy for /with 
Children course is included in the curriculum as a lesson from preschool to middle years. The radio 
program helps to raise awareness about the impact of having this course in schools on children. It sets 
an example for other schools to know, understand, and adopt. 

 
The Impact of the Program on the Broader Community 
 

Recent childhood studies challenge the traditional adult-child distinction. It goes beyond the 
voices that have risen since the 1980s to understand children's agencies and empower children's 
participation. The new ethical-political approach put forward by John Wall with the concept of 
childism says that it is necessary to restructure social norms and power in light of the different and 
diverse experiences of children (Wall, 2013, p.70). It is now widely recognized that childhood is no 
longer a concept constructed by adults, but rather a concept constructed for and with children. Our 
radio program reflects this shift in perspective from adultism to childism. We acknowledge that 
children can think, reason, and freely express their ideas. They are not passive learners, but active and 
creative contributors to knowledge and culture. By giving them a voice and listening to their thoughts, 
we hope to foster a more inclusive society where children's contributions are valued and integrated 
into our understanding of both childhood and adulthood. If it happens this way, our knowledge, 
values, and practices of childhood and adulthood will transform. Our radio program is based on these 
principles and supports their recognition and dissemination. 

 
Conclusively, over the course of five years, we have produced a radio program in which children 

actively participated. The program has had a profound impact not only on the children but also on 
educators and the broader community. The episodes are digitally available, ensuring that the impact 
will continue to grow over time. As the producer and presenter of the program, there is an emotional 
side to my work. In today's world, despite the abundance of voice, photo, and video recordings, 
children's ideas on a subject are rarely recorded. The recordings of the radio program serve as a 
memory for the children who participated in it. In the years to come, as they listen back to their 
discussions, they will notice how their thoughts, ways of communicating, and even their tone of voice 
have changed. This applies to me too; the work I have done, and a certain period of my life, is 
recorded. Speaking of the personal and emotional impact of the program, I would like to say this as a 
final word. At the start of each broadcast period, we take a traditional photo with the children in 
front of the radio building. I hope that years later, I can meet them there again and we can take new 
photos where they are taller than me. 



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Appendix:  Children participated in the program as broadcasters 
 
2019-2020: Alya Şencan, Saba Koca, Toprak Şahan, Tuna Çakır (12 years old) 
2020-2021: Ayşe Kiraz Akman, Deniz Sönmezateş, Mithatcan Özdemir, Nural Atacan Çebi (12 years 
old) 
2021-2022: Duru Kayahan, Kuzey Sarp Levent, Ömer Faruk Dereli, Zeynep Ece Asar (11 years old) 
2022-2023: Ece Aksoy, Hüseyin Kaan Kaplan, İpek Defne Obuz, Mehmet Alp Ünver (10 years old) 
2023-2024: Ayda Nil Akın, Cemal Sami Şenyuva, Doğa Karaağaç, Yekta Özkasap (10 years old) 
 
Bibliography 
 
Açık Bilinç (2012). Güven Güzeldere. Retrieved April 2024, from  

     https://acikradyo.com.tr/program/acik-bilinc 
Küçük Düşünürler Topluluğu. (2019). Özge Özdemir. Retrieved April 2024, from    

     https://acikradyo.com.tr/program/kucuk-dusunurler-toplulugu 
Lipman, M. (2003). Thinking in Education. Cambridge University Press. 
Lipman, M. (2008). A Life Teaching Thinking, IAPC Montclair State University Press. 
Lipman, M. (2017) The Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (IAPC) program,  

      in: S. Naji, R. Hashim (ed.) History, Theory, and Practice of Philosophy for Children. Routledge.  
      p.3-11 

Gregory, M. (ed.) (2008). Philosophy for Children Practitioner Handbook  IAPC Montclair State  
      University. 

Sharp, A.M. (2017) Philosophy in the School Curriculum, in: S. Naji, R. Hashim (ed.) History, 
      Theory, and Practice of Philosophy for Children, Routledge. p.30-42 

Wall, J. (2010). Ethics in Light of Childhood. Georgetown University Press. 
Wall, J. (2013) Childism: The Challenge of Childhood to Ethics and the Humanities, in: A. M.  
Duane (ed.) The Children’s Table. University of Georgia Press. p.68-84 
 
Author Information: 
Dr. Özge Özdemir is the producer and presenter of the radio program Little Thinkers Society and 
graduate of the Philosophy Department of Boğaziçi University. She is the author of the Redhouse 
Kidz Publishing series of Philosophy for Children books.  
https://en.ltsegitim.com/ 
E-mail: ozgefozdemir@gmail.com 
Social media: @ozgefozdemir 

https://acikradyo.com.tr/program/acik-bilinc
https://acikradyo.com.tr/program/kucuk-dusunurler-toplulugu
https://en.ltsegitim.com/
mailto:ozgefozdemir@gmail.com

