Abstract:
Young children often use actions rather than talk as they interact with
objects and each other to strategically shape the social, material, and
cultural environment. New dynamic research designs and methods are
needed to capture the collaborative learning and social positioning
achieved through children’s non-verbal interactions. Mediated discourse
analysis (MDA), a hybrid ethnographic/sociolinguistic approach rooted in
cultural-historical activity and practice theories, analyzes mediated actions
with objects. A three-year ethnographic study of children’s literacy play
illustrates the five-stage process in MDA research design that resulted in
microanalysis of children’s activity with social practices, positioning and
spaces that included and excluded peers.
