Centering a Young Child through Care and Trust to Lead a Co-Observation Relational Learning Ecology

Counter to pejorative representations of children's competencies, here we show that young children can lead co-research when they trust that adults will follow. Our research team—child, caregiver, and university-based members—present an interactional, multimodal analysis of video data in the co-development of a virtual relational learning ecology. We examine the role of talk, gaze, touch, body orientation, and facial expression in communicating care, demonstrating trust, and supporting the educational dignity of a young learner, leader, analyst, and author as they engage in showing valued artifacts and practices. While we acknowledge the entire research team's interactional efforts to center the child, we also illustrate the child's leadership in our learning ecology that allowed us to weave their perspective, experience, and family culture in representing learning.