Do my words convey what children are saying? Researching school life with very young children: dilemmas for 'authentic listening'

This article presents some of the challenges that arise in research aimed at listening to children under three years of age in order to improve everyday school life. The article is based on research carried out over several years in schools and funded by the Spanish Ministry responsible for Research and Development (R&D). Drawing on a multi-case study in early childhood schools, various methodological dilemmas relating to how to access the voice of children are discussed. The choice of complementary ways of listening and eliciting the children's voices, and of approaching the processes of giving meaning to their ideas in a respectful way, are analysed based on the research cases. The conclusions underline the need to diversify the research 'listening strategies' and to pay attention to the power imbalance between different children and between children and adults in the research process. The conclusions aim to shed light on some epistemological and ethical concerns about the authentic participation of the youngest children.