| Summary: | The aim of the study is to investigate how “listening” takes placein apreschool in Reggio Emilia, a city in northern Italy. This is a phenomenological study that investigates “listening” as a phenomenon based on children ́sand pedagogues ́ experiences. Three pedagogues and eleven children was interviewed in order to get knowledge about three main aspects: how “listening” is interpreted by pedagogues and children and put in practice in a Reggio Emilia pedagogy-also known as “the pedagogy of listening”; if children experience that they are being listened to and whether they have an influence in the preschool ́s activities; and whether the Reggio Emilia pedagogy affects the relationship between pedagogues and children. The findings show that “listening” is a complex concept that includes a variety of meanings that result in many different interpretations on how to put it in to practice. As described in other studies there is a risk of making children objects of adult research, thus affecting a genuine relationship between pedagogues and children. In these studies, the Reggio Emilia pedagogy is described as a method with fixed and rigid techniques of listening. According to the results in this study this seems to be avoidable by considering the Reggio Emilia pedagogy as an approach that is adaptable to different children groups, as well asactively involving children in their own documentation process. The results also demonstrate that children donot feel that they area part of the decision making when it comes to the preschool ́s activities. This is due to the fact that children’s interests are subject to interpretation by the pedagogues, who then often redirect them towards more desirable contents according to their own intentions. Also, the preschool environment is seen as a “third pedagogue” as it communicates to the children which activities and interactions are considered possible in a certain space.
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