Making Meaning: the voices of children talking about a dramatised story

Summary This study is drawn from nine case‐studies of Years 5 and 6 children engaged in classroom discussion following a dramatised story. It examines the organisation of the discussions and the role of the teacher in facilitating them. Presentation of classroom transcripts provides an insight into the complex process of meaning‐building which children engage in through dialogue with each other. The teaching strategy used is a Community of Inquiry, which aims to help children think both critically and creatively. In describing the process of arriving at a question for discussion it is argued that children are capable of forming their own questions and following them through in dialogue with each other. The role of teachers in the success of such discussion is crucial; they are required to help the children submit their ideas to scrutiny and challenge, whilst suspending their own views and opinions. The data support the view that dialogue can play a central part in children's construction of meaning.