The development of a rights-based approach to participation: from peripheral involvement to central participation of children, parents and professionals

Family involvement is an important feature of any quality practice in early years. In multicultural democratic societies may work as a first step for civic participation. The research presented in this article focuses on the involvement of families in educational everyday life in an urban context. This investigation uses praxeological research to narrate the progressive transformation of practices of family involvement and participation. It analyses, interprets and narrates the learning journey of children and their families for three years within the journey of an early years’ educational community. So, the study has a praxeological longitudinal nature, meaning it researches the evolution of pedagogic praxis over time. This study is part of a project that intends to understand the importance of participatory pedagogies (Pedagogy-in-Participation approach in this case) for the building up of a rights-based approach aiming to promote children’ early experience of participation in a democratic society.