Children learning with peers: The confluence of peer status and literacy competence within small‐group literacy events

Abstract

S This study investigated the interactions of 16 first‐grade children during one academic year as they participated in literacy events with their peers. Of particular interest was how children with different levels of acceptance from their peers and different levels of reading achievement experienced collaborative peer‐only literacy events. A sociocultural perspective guided the investigation. Constructs related to the individual psychology of the children were also considered to gain insights into experiences of individual children. Data included 138 hours of classroom observations, video and/or audiotapes of the children as they participated in collaborative literacy events, assessments of the children's reading ability, and assessments of the children's acceptance by their peers. A constant comparative method guided the data analysis. The analysis suggests that issues related to peer acceptance and reading competence complicate children's interactions during collaborative literacy events. While interactions during these events are a source of support for some, they may be a source of stress for others. Concepts critical to understanding how children with different levels of acceptance from peers and different levels of reading achievement experience these events are presented. Implications for classroom teachers and for researchers are presented. Este estudio investigó las interacciones de 16 niños de primer grado durante un año académico, mientras participaban en eventos de alfabetización con sus pares. Resultó particularmente interesante la forma en la que niños con diferentes grados de aceptación por parte de sus pares y diferentes niveles de lectura experimentaron los eventos colaborativos de alfabetización. Una perspectiva sociocultural guió la investigación. Asimismo, con el fin de obtener conocimientos sobre las experiencias de cada niño, se consideraron conceptualizaciones relacionadas con las características psicológicas de los niños. Los datos incluyeron 138 horas de observaciones en el aula, registros de audio y/o video de los niños mientras participaban en eventos colaborativos de alfabetización, evaluaciones de la habilidad de lectura de los niños y de la aceptación de los niños por parte de sus pares. El método comparativo constante guió el análisis de los datos. El análisis sugiere que las cuestiones relacionadas con la aceptación de los pares y la competencia en lectura complican las interacciones de los niños durante los eventos colaborativos de alfabetización. En tanto que las interacciones durante estos eventos son una fuente de apoyo para algunos, pueden ser una fuente de ansiedad para otros. Se presentan conceptos críticos para comprender cómo niños con diferente nivel de aceptación por parte de sus pares y diferentes niveles de lectura experimentan estos eventos. Se presentan también implicancias para los docentes e investigadores. Diese Abhandlung untersuchte die gegenseitige Beeinflussung von 16 Kindern der ersten Klasse im Laufe eines Schuljahres, wie sie sich in Schreib‐/Lesea...

Shaping our literate lives: Examining the role of literacy experiences in shaping positive literacy identities of doctoral students

“…Although participants did not discuss social learning experiences in their elementary school environments, there is research to suggest social literacy learning experiences are regularly implemented in elementary classrooms (Flint, 2010;Griffin, 2002;Matthews & Kesner, 2003;Morrow, Tracey, & Del Nero, 2011). However, by the time students reach middle school, there is often a shift to more teacher-centered, direct instruction (Eccles & Roeser, 2010;McEwin & Greene, 2010) with fewer opportunities for social learning experiences, which is often the result of high stakes testing requirements in the upper grades (McEwin & Green, 2010;Musoleno & White, 2010).…”

A longitudinal introspective into the text comprehension tasks of national tests and exams of the Estonian language

“…Metalingvistiliste võimete all mõeldakse keele struktuuride ja funktsioonide teadvustamist ning nende teadlikku kasutamist (Alipour, 2014). Tekstimõistmise seisukohalt on olulised ka kooliga seotud tegurid, nt õpetaja valitud tekstid, õpetamistegevused (rühmatööd, arutelud) ja tekstimõistmise õpeta-misele pühendatud aeg (Matthews & Kesner, 2003;Schleppegrell, 2004;Taylor, Pearson, Clark, & Walpole, 2000;Tivnan & Hemphill, 2005), mille kaudu saab õpetaja toetada ja kujundada tekstimõistmise arengut. Tennet (2015) eristab omavahel seotud tekstimõistmise komponente, mis esindavad kolme laiemat valdkonda: lingvistilisi protsesse (sõnavara ja sün-taks), teadmisi (üldised ja valdkonnaspetsiifilised) ning kognitiivseid protsesse (mälu, järeldamine, arusaamise seire).…”

Broadening the Interpretive Lens: Considering Individual Development along with Sociocultural Views of Learning to Understand Young Children's Interactions during Socially Mediated Literacy Events

“…We reference this potential for a more open-ended, less directed flow within the event as the proximity of fluidity. Matthews and Kesner (2003) noted how four boys' interpretations of their teacher's directions changed an event from an individual activity to a collaborative one. This one decision substantively influenced the boy's subsequent behavior.…”

“…The following two classroom excerpts are data from the Matthews and Kesner (2003) study. Only small portions of the first excerpt appeared in the report of that study.…”

“…Evan's literacy knowledge provisions, supported by his strong social provisions, supplied him with the knowledge needed to perform the task and the social finesse needed to mediate that knowledge with others. This might explain why Evan often assumed the role of leader when in a CLE without Brad; the other children followed his lead, as they followed Brad's, with minimal complaints (Matthews & Kesner, 2003).…”