Inferential Talk during Teacher-Child Interactions in Small-Group Play

Autor/inn/en	Tompkins, Virginia; Zucker, Tricia A.; Justice, Laura M.; Binici, Sevda
Titel	Inferential Talk during Teacher-Child Interactions in Small-Group Play
Quelle	In: Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 28 (2013) 2, S.424-436 (13 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0885-2006
DOI	10.1016/j.ecresq.2012.11.001
Schlagwörter	Play; Preschool Children; Teacher Student Relationship; Group Activities; Responses; Preschool Education; Preschool Teachers; Sequential Approach; Inferences; Questioning Techniques; Early Childhood Education; Mean Length of Utterance + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Spiel; Pre-school age; Preschool age; Child; Children; Pre-school education; Preschool education; Vorschulalter; Kind; Kinder; Vorschulkind; Vorschulkinder; Vorschulerziehung; Vorschule; Teacher student relationships; Lehrer-Schüler-Beziehung; Gruppenaktivität; Erzieher; Erzieherin; Kindergärtnerin; Schrittfolge; Inference; Inferenz; Befragungstechnik; Fragetechnik; Early childhood; Education; Frühkindliche Bildung; Frühpädagogik
Abstract	This study examined teachers' questions and children's responses during a play-based activity implemented in small groups within preschool classrooms. The first aim of this study was to describe teachers' questions in terms of four levels of abstraction (i.e., a continuum of literal to inferential questions) and children's responses to these questions. The second aim was to examine the relations between teachers' questions and children's responses using sequential analyses, to include children's level of abstraction and mean length of utterance (MLU). Participants were 39 teachers and up to six children from their preschool classroom. We found that teachers' questions made up an average of 25% of their talk to children during play, and were relatively balanced between literal and inferential questions. Furthermore, significant sequential associations were found between the level of abstraction of teachers' questions and the level of abstraction of children's responses (e.g., teachers' inferential questions tended to elicit children's inferential responses). Finally, we found that teachers' inferential questions were not related to children's MLU; that is, teachers' more abstract questions did not elicit longer utterances from children. These findings suggest that play is a valuable context in which teachers may promote children's use of inferential language. (Contains 2 figures and 4 tables.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Elsevier. 3251 Riverport Lane, Maryland Heights, MO 63043. Tel: 800-325-4177; Tel: 314-447-8000; Fax: 314-447-8033; e-mail: JournalCustomerService-usa@elsevier.com; Web site: http://www.elsevier.com
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10