ℹ️ This article's author, Carrie Rose, will be presenting at our upcoming Elevate online conference on 30 April. Find out more.
In order to build a child’s self-identity, we must first understand how the child understands themself within their environments and relationships.
Educators are aware of the critical role self-identity plays in fostering children’s developing awareness of their rights as contributing citizens.
Whilst educational documentation builds a strong ‘image of each child’, it must be remembered that this image should depict a citizen in their own right.
Krechevsky, Mardell and Romans (2014) state that, in Reggio Emilia, children are referred to as protagonists. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a protagonist as “a leading actor, character or participant in a literary work or real event, or a leader, proponent or supporter of a cause.”
The challenge for educators, then, is how to illuminate and uphold children’s rights within their communities.
Seeing children as capable contributors
The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) offers educators a shared foundation to collaborate, strengthen their communities, and support positive outcomes for the wellbeing of Australian children. In communities where results highlight areas for greater support, it becomes even more important to uphold a strong image of every child as capable and competent.
These insights call for a renewed commitment to advocating for children’s strengths. Holding a genuine belief that all children can be active, contributing citizens, regardless of their community context, is central to this work.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – Article 12 states that children have the right to express their views on matters that affect them, and for those views to be genuinely heard and given due consideration by adults making decisions.
This advocacy calls for innovation in how educators think, document and listen. While educators recognise the valuable contributions children can make, ensuring those views are consistently taken seriously remains an ongoing challenge across communities.
Children sign a class treaty at HazelGrove Early Education Centre
Making children’s voices visible in the community
For educators, this work offers an opportunity to engage more deeply and critically with their own practice, as well as that of their colleagues, creating a space where thoughtful challenge can lead to more innovative pedagogy. Such an approach recognises and demonstrates the value of children’s ‘interpretive theory’, as described by Carla Rinaldi in Re-Imagining Childhood. Part of this thinking is to give children true ‘visibility’ in the community.
Finding meaningful ways to share children’s voices beyond the walls of the service is central to highlighting their capacity to contribute. The goal is to create a lasting ripple effect, supporting communities often labelled as vulnerable to recognise the value children bring in shaping change. In turn, this influence can extend to families and policy makers, opening up new possibilities for the future.
Children from Coonamble Children's Service view their winning entry in the 2024 Waste 2 Arts project
For children, seeing themselves as contributors who can make a difference can shape a lifelong sense of agency. As Denham, Zinsser and Bailey (2011) note, emotional intelligence is grounded in the connection between body, mind and spirit, and in how we make sense of our thoughts and feelings. While social and emotional awareness continues to develop into adolescence, the most significant window of opportunity occurs from birth to eight years.
Claudia Giudici (Schools of Reggio Emilia) emphasises the responsibility of educators to build and shape contexts that enable children’s competencies to grow.
Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, described children’s developing sense of self in this way:
"It is the image of the child who, from the moment of birth, is so engaged in developing a relationship with the world, and so intent on experiencing it, that he or she develops a complex system of abilities, learning strategies and ways of organising relationships." (Rinaldi, C. 2013, p. 15)
Listening is what turns a child’s voice into action.
References
- Australian Early Development Census. (n.d.). Communities. Retrieved 19 April 2026, from https://www.aedc.gov.au/communities
- Denham, S. A., Zinsser, K., & Bailey, C. S. (2011). Emotional intelligence in the first five years of life. In R. E. Tremblay, M. Boivin, & R. DeV. Peters (Eds.), Encyclopedia of early childhood development. Retrieved 19 April 2026, from http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/
- Krechevsky, M., Mardell, B., & Romans, A. N. (2014). Engaging City Hall: Children as citizens. The New Educator, 10(1), 11–25.
- UNICEF Australia. (n.d.). Convention on the Rights of the Child: Child-friendly version [PDF]. Retrieved 19 April 2026, from https://www.unicef.org.au/Upload/UNICEF/Media/Our%20work/childfriendlycrc.pdf
- Rinaldi, C. (2013). Re-imagining childhood: The inspiration of Reggio Emilia education principles in South Australia. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 20 April, 2026 from https://reimaginingchildhood.com/app/uploads/2018/10/reimagining-childhood.pdf
About Carrie
Carrie has over 30 years of experience in the early education and care sector. She was previously the Approved Provider and Pedagogical Leader at twice Excellent rated Rosie’s Early Learning for almost 15 years.
Carrie is passionate about advocating for children’s rights, particularly through the lens of leadership, pedagogy, and environment design. She has participated in two study tours to the schools of Reggio Emilia and has visited Geoffrey Canada’s work at the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City. In 2022, Carrie was selected to join the Front Project Apiary Fellowship, a body committed to developing, influencing, and implementing change in the early childhood system. She has a particular interest in children’s rights, inquiry-based learning, leadership, and critical reflection.