Discourse processes in instructional conversations: Interactions between teacher and transition readers

Abstract

Generations of educators since the time of Socrates have argued for a kind of teaching that helps students develop the ability to comprehend complex ideas and texts. This kind of teaching might be particularly important for low‐income, cultural‐minority students learning a second language, many of whom continue to be at risk for underachievement in school. We propose that “instructional conversations” (Tharp & Gallimore, 1988, 1989) might be one way to achieve these ambitious, but elusive, educational goals. In this article we discuss the discourse properties of instructional conversations and suggest their likely effects on students’ conceptual and linguistic development.