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Abstract
Images of children as strong and capable rights-holders have nestled comfortably into the vernacular of early childhood education and care discourses. Promoting a view of children as entitled to contribute to decisions that affect them, these images are now framing themes of many curricular guides and learning frameworks. The inclusion of infants in these curricular guides suggests that they too are entitled to have a say in their learning, and yet little is understood about how we might get to the heart of what an infant thinks, intends and experiences. This article explores possibilities for visual narratives to enable a closer proximity to infants’ perspectives in relation to their learning. Drawing on Levinas’s ideas about ethical encounter and benediction, the authors seek ways to make visible the thinking, theorising and intent of one infant as she reveals her interests in learning.
Keywords Agency, children’s perspectives, curriculum, ethical encounter, infants, Levinas
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Author biographies
Sandra Cheeseman is an academic at Macquarie University and is undertaking doctoral study at Charles Sturt University. Her research currently focuses on the experiences of infants as they encounter formalised curricular documents and associated expectations for their learning.
Jennifer Sumsion is Foundation Professor of Early Childhood Education and Director of the Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education at Charles Sturt University. She is also Co-Director of the Australian government-funded (2011–2015) Excellence in Research in Early Years Education Collaborative Research Network.
