Children's Friendships Matter

Dr Caron Carter

The Children’s Friendships podcast series created by myself, Dr Caron Carter, for academics, teachers, educators and parents interested in supporting children’s friendships. The intention of this podcast series is to stimulate conversations about children’s friendships, exploring ways to support and facilitate friendship. If you have ever wondered about how to support children’s friendships, access this podcast series. Listen to inspiring conversations from academics and teachers/educators enhance your practice and support your children.

Episodes

  1. 03/06/2025

    Episode 10: Dr Luke Beardon - Friendship and Neuro-Divergent Children

    In this tenth episode Dr Caron Carter talks to Dr Luke Beardon about Friendship and Neuro-divergent children. Terms and concepts such as neuro-divergent and neuro-divergence, equality and equity, reasonable adjustments and diverging sociality are discussed. In summary, this episode explores what friendship means to neuro-divergent children and how we might listen and support.

  2. 01/22/2025

    Episode 9: Headteacher Cathy Rowland - Children's Friendships in the Infant School Context

    In this nineth episode Dr Caron Carter talks to Headteacher, Cathy Rowland about children’s friendships in the Infant School context. This episode delves the friendship joys and challenges that emerge for children, educators, teachersand parents, reflecting on what we might learn from both practice and research. Here we explore the benefits of friendship, how schools currently scaffold friendships and advice for parents supporting their children’s friendships asthey start school.

  3. 09/24/2024

    Episode 8: Professor John Potter - The Play Observatory and Children's Friendships.

    In this eighth episode Dr Caron Carter talks to Professor John Potter, who led the ESRC funded project, the Play Observatory. Here we explore John’s research using media in Education to chronicle children’s stories and the links to children’s friendships. We reflect on children’s experiences at school, being online during Covid-19 and playground play and the Opie archive.

  4. 01/08/2024

    Episode 7: Deputy Headteacher Richard Owen - Children's Friendships in the Primary School Context.

    In this seventh episode Dr Caron Carter talks to Deputy Headteacher, Richard Owen about children’s friendships in the Primary School context. This episode delves into some of the friendship issues that emerge for children, teachers, and parents today. Why are friendships so important during primary school education? How do schools support children’s friendships? How is play integral to children’s friendships, why is emotional regulation important for children’s friendships? How has COVID 19 impacted upon children’s friendships?

  5. 11/07/2023

    Episode 6: Dr Sacha Powell, Professor TIna Bruce & Dr Stella Louis (part 2 of 2) Froebelian Courses, Covid-19 and Children's Friendships

    In this sixth episode (part 2 of 2) Dr Caron Carter talks to Dr Sacha Powell, Professor Tina Bruce & Dr Stella Louis, reflecting on Froebelian courses and the impact of COVID 19 on children’s friendships.

  6. 11/07/2023

    Episode 5: Dr Sacha Powell, Professor Tina Bruce and Dr Stella Louis (part 1 of 2) Froebelian Principles and Children's Friendships

    In this fifth episode (part 1 of 2) Dr Caron Carter talks to Dr Sacha Powell Professor Tina Bruce & Dr Stella Louis, exploring Froebelian principles and their links to children’s friendships, considering how a Froebelian ethos can support children’s friendships.

  7. 10/12/2023

    Episode 4: Professor Kate Adams - Children’s Imaginary Friends

    In this fourth episode Dr Caron Carter talks to Professor Kate Adams about the concept of imaginary friends. Asking: Are there different types of imaginary friend? How should we react to the presence of an imaginary friend? How can we support children with their imaginary friends?

  8. 10/12/2023

    Episode 3: Professor Tony Bertram & Professor Chris Pascal (part 2 of 2) Children’s Friendships in ECE - The Role of Adults

    In this third episode (part 2 of 2) Dr Caron Carter talks to Professor Chris Pascal & Professor Tony Bertram about the role of adults in children’s friendships, time and friendship and hope and optimism.

  9. 10/12/2023

    Episode 2: Professor Chris Pascal & Professor Tony Bertram (part 1 of 2) The Importance of Children’s Friendships in Early Childhood Education

    In this second episode (part 1 of 2) Dr Caron Carter talks to Professor Chris Pascal & Professor Tony Bertram about the importance of children’s friendships in Early Childhood Education and the links to children’s wellbeing, including flourishment and joy, encouraging children to connect respectfully with others and recovery and re-entry into school and settings post Covid-19.

  10. 10/12/2023

    Episode 1: Professor Alison Clark - Children’s Friendships through the Lens of ‘Slow Pedagogy’.

    In this first episode Dr Caron Carter talks to Professor Alison Clark, the author of ‘Slow Knowledge and the Unhurried Child’, about children’s friendships through the lens of ‘Slow Pedagogy’, reflecting on what we might learn for both practice and future research directions.

  11. 10/11/2023

    Introductory Episode: Dr Caron Carter - Children’s Friendships Matter – Introduction.

    Welcome to the Children’s Friendships Podcast. I’m Dr Caron Carter a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Early Childhood and Childhood Education at Sheffield Hallam University. This is a Podcast for academics, teachers, practitioners, and parents. This podcast seeks to explore ways of supporting children’s friendships in educational contexts. This series has been inspired by research I have carried out in this field for over decade and a recent research project on maintaining children’s friendships during the Covid-19 pandemic. This podcast series was supported by a Sheffield Hallam University fellowship. You can find out more about my research and other podcast episodes by going to the website: https://research.shu.ac.uk/friends/

    Introductory Episode: Dr Caron Carter - Children’s Friendships Matter – Introduction.
  • 11 Episodes

About

The Children’s Friendships podcast series created by myself, Dr Caron Carter, for academics, teachers, educators and parents interested in supporting children’s friendships. The intention of this podcast series is to stimulate conversations about children’s friendships, exploring ways to support and facilitate friendship. If you have ever wondered about how to support children’s friendships, access this podcast series. Listen to inspiring conversations from academics and teachers/educators enhance your practice and support your children.

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