Six year-olds’ private speech during construction of writing in intersubjectivity

Abstract

In this article we seek to analyze data on the use and functions of four six-years-olds’ private speeches prompted during free graphic production exercises, such as drawing and initial writing. Our study was developed from a cultural psychology perspective in which knowledge is constructed dialogically during teaching-learning activities in multimodal literacy processes. In addition, classroom interactions and problem solving involve social practices based on oral, visual and graphic modes of communication. We analyzed four 60-minute sessions filmed in a first grade1 classroom; three sessions involved recount children’s stories and one was a free writing session, all of which were led by the classroom teacher. In designating episodes as the units of analysis, we applied the categories developed by literature to analyze private speech and created another category from the indexes of the specific situations. The results indicated that the use of private speech functioned in order to organize drawing and spelling during free writing activities. In addition, the use of private speech acquired the following functions directed to generate knowledge in intersubjectivity: a) as a commentary of the social other; b) a commentary of the speaker himself directed to the social other; c) a private speech of the social other; d) an assessment commentary; e) private speeches in collective spelling; f) as present participants’ commentaries of agreement or disagreement.