Children's questions, concerns and ways of extending thought and empathy to plants and animals demonstrate their ability to see the human and non-human worlds as entangled, complex and overlapping

This theoretical paper presents the reflections of several early childhood educators and their pedagogista (mentor) regarding their pedagogical attempts to shift the focus away from child-centered practices at their early childhood center to a common world's framework. The authors work at Capilano University Children's Centre which is surrounded by a coastal rainforest in Vancouver, Canada. The children and teachers take regular walks in the forest.

Child-centered practices, as used in the context of this discussion, place the child as the central subject, reflecting a human–centric way of thinking. The common world's framework, on the other hand, directs attention away from the child and the educators to inter-relations with the natural world. The authors argue against the positioning of nature as a separate entity to which children should be brought for them to gain the benefits nature has to offer. Pedagogical practices focusing on reuniting children with nature reflect human-centric thinking and is based on the idea of gaining or taking from nature. This way of thinking perpetuates the nature-culture divide.

Education can play a role in promoting new modes of thinking that are designed to restore harmonious human relations with the natural world. In the process, some of the traditionally held assumptions that divide humans from the natural world need to be dismantled. Examples provided by the authors document children's ability to notice, wonder and extend thought to nature in ways reflective of a “more than human” perspective. Children's questions, concerns and ways of extending thought and empathy to species such as trees, insects and animals also demonstrate their ability to see the human and non-human worlds as entangled, complex and overlapping.

This paper concludes with a call to 'think-with the world' rather than having dominance 'in the world.' Vignettes from project work done with the children at the center provide examples of how a common world's framework can be embedded in early childhood pedagogy.