Abstract of

Children Learning With Peers: The Confluence of Peer Status and Literacy Competence Within Small-Group Literacy Events

Mona W. Matthews

John Kesner

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.

Abstract from Matthews, M.W., & Kesner, J. (2003). Children Learning With Peers: The Confluence of Peer Status and Literacy Competence Within Small-Group Literacy Events. Reading Research Quarterly, 38(2), 208–234. doi: 10.1598/RRQ.38.2.3