The nature of children's talk during storybook partnerships

Paul, a first-grader reading a book about fish, pronounced the wordone asfish. Rachel, his partner, shook her head from side to side and drew the number 1 with her fingertip on the desk. Then she said, First number. Paul knew it wasone and corrected himself. Later, when he was stuck on the word again, Rachel prompted, First number. Paul corrected himself and mastered the wordone.Cathleen Soundy is Assistant Professor, Early Childhood/Elementary Education, Temple University, College of Education, Philadelphia, PA.