One, Two, Three, Eyes on Me! Adults Attempting Control versus Guiding in Support of Initiative

Abstract

This article examines and contrasts two distinct patterns of assisting children's learning that relate to adults' participation in different cultural practices: strategies to control children's attention and motivation versus supportive guidance including children's initiative. We report case studies of the instructional approaches taken by 4 research assistants who were asked to follow a script to casually demonstrate how to make an object, leaving room for children's initiative. The 2 research assistants who were bilingual European American elementary school teachers attempted to control the children's attention, motivation, and behavior in accord with accepted pedagogical practice - calling children's attention, controlling children's pace and keeping them on task using extensive step-by-step explanation, and evaluating the children's efforts with praise - even when they were trying not to, in order to follow the script. In contrast, the 2 bilingual Mexican-heritage research assistants guided the children with support for their initiative, in line with the cultural tradition of Learning by Observing and Pitching In to family and community endeavors, allowing the children to take initiative in managing their own attention, adjusting the pace of instruction collaboratively, using subtle nonverbal cues, and giving feedback without praise. We discuss the resilience of cultural approaches to supporting learning and encourage expanding repertoires of practice.

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