Children Choosing Their Weekly Jobs in a Pre-school
The educators in a preschool room observed that from about the age of about three years, children love doing small jobs to help, such as putting crayons out, putting cups out and helping the teacher at the printer. The educators decided to introduce the idea of children choosing the jobs they like doing during circle time.
• The educators asked the children if they would like to pick their own jobs every week, and they were very enthusiastic about this.
• This led to a discussion during which children named different jobs they like doing.
• The educators invited the children to take part in designing a job chart on which educators wrote all the jobs children like doing.
• Each child decorated their own name on a small, coloured card, and each decorated a different job for the chart, which was stuck on little coloured pocket slots (see below). Educators helped and supported children who wanted help.
• Once the chart was done, they had complete control over what jobs they wanted to do and could slot their name into their job of choice.
• Each week, the children chose a different job, and they could swap jobs with their friends if they wanted. Children can also choose not to have a job.
• The educators also facilitated a buddy system on some jobs if two children wanted the same job.
• Some weeks, children would come up with new jobs for the chart, and the educators added them.
How the children were ensured SPACE, VOICE, AUDIENCE and INFLUENCE
Space: 
• The children felt safe to express their views because they were in a familiar environment with trusted educators.
• Each child was able to take as much time as they liked decorating their own name, designing part of the job chart and choosing the job they wanted to do for the week.
• All children’s choices were acted on in an inclusive way.
Voice:
• Children who needed support to decorate the chart and make choices about their jobs were offered that support by educators.
• Children were able to suggest any jobs they like for the jobs chart and were encouraged to add new jobs from week to week. They could also choose to buddy with another child to do a particular job.
• Children were offered different ways of giving their views by either putting their name/s into the slot with their job of choice or asking an educator to do this for them.
Audience:
• Educators showed they were ready and willing to listen to children’s views by enabling children to make their own choices about decorating the jobs chart, picking weekly jobs, swapping jobs with friends, buddying with friends and adding new jobs to the chart.
• Educators told the children that they could make their own choices about decorating the jobs chart, choosing weekly jobs and adding new jobs to the chart.
Influence:
• Children knew they were having an influence because educators listened to and acted on their job chart design choices and their weekly job choices.
• The children were given feedback by the educators acting on their decisions.
• Children could see the impact of their decisions and choices because the educators enabled them to decorate the jobs chart, pick weekly jobs, swap jobs, buddy-up for jobs and add new jobs.
• Children themselves were the key decision-makers as no-one else influenced their choices about decorating the jobs chart, picking weekly jobs, swapping jobs, budding up for jobs and adding new jobs.
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