Inferential Patterns in Preschool Children's Constructions of Extended Discourse

Children's involvement in extended discourse has been found to be positively associated with oral language and literacy development. Cognitively demanding talk in sustained conversations creates a rich language environment for preschoolers. This study analyzed the ways in which preschool children and their teacher jointly constructed inferential patterns through extended discourse. To approach children's experiences outdoors, a ‘walking methodology’ was employed focusing on the local neighborhood surrounding an inner-city preschool. In a follow-up conversation, a preschool teacher invited three children to talk about photographs taken during a walk. Conversational inferences related to speaker roles and the participants' elaboration of discourse topics were analyzed based on a 14-minute segment of this conversation. The results showed children's ongoing negotiation of the teacher's prevailing one-at-the-time speaking pattern, and that the open-ended character of the conversation posed a challenge for the children. However, interactional support and thematic links to prior experiences facilitated their development of discourse topics. The children's and teacher's contributions yielded three inferential aspects of topic elaboration: offering personalized accounts of experience, establishing dynamic inter-relationships, and sustaining an ongoing investigation of change.