KidsThinkAboutIt! Philosophy for Kids

We think children are natural philosophers! It’s our mission to provide online and print resources to help young thinkers tackle big questions, the same ones they ponder every day. Join Sophia the Wise on her journey through the wonderful world of amazing ideas!

ThinkAboutIt: Philosophy for Kids!- Book Trailer from EnableTC on Vimeo.

We also help parents and teachers have meaningful discussions with their kids about some of the most interesting ideas humans have ever come up with. It’s our goal to help both big and little thinkers bring philosophy to kitchen table, the classroom, the community center, and the clubhouse.

See what others are saying about us!

What a way to start 2012!

January 5th, 2012

We’re so excited that our next three apps are available on iTunes!

For ThinkAboutIt3 (environmental philosophy), click here.

For ThinkAboutIt4 (aesthetics), click here.

For According to Phil: A Young Thinker’s Guide to Robots, click here.

We’re currently hard at work on our next book (Epistemology: How Do You Know What You Know?), as well as teacher resource packs for anyone looking to bring philosophy into the classroom.

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Our First Review For ThinkAboutIt, The App!

December 27th, 2011

Apple iPad App Review has released their review of our app, and it’s a good one! Read what they had to say here! Many thanks for the positive feedback!

For those of you looking for something fun and interesting to do over your holiday break, remember that until December 31, 2011, ThinkAboutIt1 is available for just $0.99!

Happy holidays, everyone!

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ThinkAboutIt App #2 Now Available!

December 24th, 2011

There are now two exciting and innovative apps available for young philosophers!

Check out ThinkAboutIt1 and ThinkAboutIt2 on iTunes, and watch out for three more apps early in January.

Happy holidays to all of the amazing little thinkers out there!

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Praise From The Blogsophere

December 24th, 2011

We met some amazing people at the Small Press of Toronto winter book fair two weeks ago, including Casey Hudson of the blog “Ehmerican Book Girl”. Thanks, Casey, for your kind words about our books and our apps. It was great to meet a fellow children’s author!

Here’s what she had to say:

“There are several presses and authors with whom I spoke that I found truly inspiring. Amy Leask with Enable Publishing, for instance, discussed the Kids Think About It series of philosophy books for children. Their new iTunes app allows interactivity including a coloring page and fun facts about philosophers. During a transitional time between the written and the typed word, this is an exciting step into computerized books for kids.”

Click here to read more from Casey’s blog.

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Book Trailers!

December 14th, 2011

Both Sophia the Wise and Phil Bot now have fancy new book trailers!

To see Sophia hit the small screen, click here.

To see Phil make his dramatic debut, click here.

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We are so “Appy”!

December 9th, 2011

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our first book, “Let The Thinking Begin!” is now available on iTunes as an iPad app!

Just like the paper version, it’s packed with big questions, amazing ideas from famous thinkers, activities and work pages, as well as a little history and geography. Our app also has amazing interactive features, including animation, a coloring page, clicky activities, and full narration. The perfect electronic stocking stuffer (did you know you can send apps as gifts?)!

More to come in the next few weeks!

Check it out at iTunes!

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Meet Matthew Lipman

December 5th, 2011

For quite some time, it was assumed that children, despite the look of wisdom on some of their faces, weren’t capable of thinking philosophically. What could be deep about dressing dolls and hanging upside down from the monkey bars, right? How could someone who couldn’t reach the cookie jar be counted on to question life, the universe and everything?

Lucky for all of us, there have been philosophers who knew better, and who not only contended that children could do philosophy, but that they should. One of the pioneers in the P4C movement was Matthew Lipman.

While teaching philosophy at Columbia University, he became disappointed in the fact that many of the young adults in his class had never been taught to reason effectively. He decided that philosophical inquiry had to begin in childhood.
In 1972, he established the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (IAPC) at Montclair State University.
He also published Harry Stottlemeier’s Discovery, a book intended to help adults do philosophy with their children and students. A number of other books followed.

There’s a marvelous series of video clips featuring Professor Lipman on Youtube. Check it out!

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Amy’s Interview with Thoughtful Reflections

November 24th, 2011

Many thanks to Sylvia L. Ramsey for chatting with me on her wonderful author’s blog. Check this out!

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For Your Retail Pleasure…

November 24th, 2011

Hey, all you out in the GTA! Do you have amazing young thinkers on your holiday shopping list? Are you seeking unique, fun, and enlightening gifts for wee philosophers? Want to know where you can get our books before Christmas?

Well, here’s a list of locations and events where you can pick up ThinkAboutIt books.

Book Warehouse Sale, Eglinton Town Centre, until December 31
The Georgetown Holiday Famer’s Market, December 8, 3-8 pm
The Toronto Small Press Book Fair, December 10, 11am-5pm

Shopping online? Order soon to avoid the holiday postal rush! Online orders placed before December 1 will receive 2 free Phil and Sophia collector buttons, perfect for popping into stockings!

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Calling All Teachers!

November 14th, 2011

“Philosophy? Hmmm…it sounds cool, but I’m not sure how to fit it into my lessons.”

Fear not, intrepid educators of brilliant young thinkers! We have not forgotten you! Introducing philosophy to your students is not only a great way to get them engaged and curious, but will also help them to think critically, communicate effectively, and become sensitive to important issues. There’s even evidence that it can help them do better on standardized tests, and resolve conflicts.

A special ThinkAboutIt teacher pack is currently in the works, including lesson plans, black line masters of worksheets, rubrics and curriculum links. For those seeking multimedia goodies for their students, our work will soon be available as interactive ebooks.

Want to be kept in the loop? Drop me a line at amy@enabletc.com to be added to our email bulletin list. You can also find us at a number of upcoming teacher-friendly venues, including:

Ontario Council for Exceptional Children Conference

Ontario Library Association Superconference

Reading For The Love Of It

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