Relationships between children’s drawing and accompanying peer interaction in teacher‐initiated drawing sessions

Abstract

In this article the author focuses on drawing‐related interaction among 5–6‐year‐old children in two Year One classes in Norwegian primary schools as they engage in teacher‐initiated learning activities involving drawing. Inspired in particular by Gunther Kress’ semiotic perspective on drawing, the author presents four interaction categories to explore social aspects of young children’s engagement in the process of forming visual‐graphic signs that convey meaning. The author proposes that while the children’s interaction can add support to the drawing process, it may also produce some risk for the children’s confidence as drawers. It is the role of the practitioner to manage and facilitate interaction so that support is maximised and risk minimised.

Keywords:

• drawing
• meaning making
• signs
• peer interaction

Notes

1. The transcription system is inspired by MacWhinney (1995). Stress is marked with an exclamation mark inside a bracket: (!). When a child corrects his or her talk, this is signalled with a short hyphen between the words. Simultaneous non‐verbal expressions are noted in brackets. Further activity is described in italics.