UWTSD childhood education expert launches book exploring children’s participation in early education

29 September 2026

A UWTSD childhood education expert has co-edited an accessible and comprehensive textbook on children’s participative rights within early education and care settings.

Cover image of Young Children's Participation book

Child participation is recognised as a fundamental right under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that children have the right to express their views and to be heard in matters that affect them.

Young Children’s Participation: Exploring Practice in Early Education and Care (Routledge), is co-edited by Dr Jane Waters-Davies, of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and Dr Jacky Tyrie of Swansea University’s Department for Education and Childhood Studies and brings together research, theory and practical examples to explore what child participation means in practice.

The book is aimed at students and researchers in early childhood and early education studies, as well as practitioners working with young children and postgraduate students.

It explores how practitioners can move beyond simply asking children for their views, towards creating everyday environments where children’s perspectives can genuinely influence decisions and learning experiences.

The book also examines some of the challenges involved in putting children’s participative rights into practice, including the different ways children’s voices, agency and participation are understood.

Topics covered include:

The policy context for children’s participative rights
Models of participation
Children’s voices and being heard
Participation and the social construction of childhood
Creating spaces for participation
Agency and participation
Measuring participation
International approaches to child participation

Dr Jane Waters-Davies said: “We are thrilled to publish this book. It considers young children’s participation from the perspective of children’s rights, exploring how we can embed it in day-to-day professional action in early education and care settings. Each chapter offers professionals and students insights into how children can experience their participative rights and genuinely influence decision-making and learning experiences in environments where their perspectives are recognised, respected and responded to.”

Dr Jacky Tyrie added: “This book explores how participation can move beyond consultation to become an embedded part of everyday early childhood practice. We are really excited that students and professionals can now get practical insights into listening to children, recognising their perspectives, and creating environments where young children’s voices genuinely influence decision-making and learning experiences.”

Described by a critic as a “timely and rich resource”, Young Children’s Participation: Exploring Practice in Early Education and Care (Routledge) is available in hardback, paperback and ebook.