Peer Co-Narration: Changes in Structure of Preschoolers' Participation

Abstract This article represents the interactional approach to the study of child narration. The analyses reveal the process of story creation by children in the roles of narrator and co-narrator. In building a narrative text alone (solo narration) or together with another child (co-narration), the child transmits new information to the peer listener about the adventures of storybook heroes. Nine hundred and sixty children ranging in age from 3 to 7 years took part in the investigation (384 in narrator and co-narrator roles and 576 in listener roles). A modified version of Peterson and McCabe's (1983) method of narrative analysis was used. The results showed that co-constructed narratives underwent change with age in reference complexity (greater change than in solo constructed ones). Co-narrator contributions were analyzed in terms of (a) new reference content (introducing new reference situations), and (b) operations upon the partner's text (in various categories mainly confirmational and supplementary). The dominant partner in introducing new content was the initiator of the dis-course, whereas the dominant one in performing text operations was the con-tinuer. Changes across the age span were found in both types of co-narrator contribution. These results showed the changing structure of preschoolers' par-ticipation in co-narrative discourse. (Psycholinguistics)