The role of peer relationships and interactions in preschool bilingual children's responses to picture books

In spite of the emphasis on the importance of social contexts in children’s literacy development, there is still a startling scarcity of studies examining the role of peer relationships in preschool bilinguals’ literary practices. This qualitative case study investigates how peer relationships and interactions among preschool, Korean-English bilingual children affect their responses to picture books during whole group read-alouds. As part of a comprehensive 18-month longitudinal study, this article focuses on data collected over a period of 10 months. Multiple data collection sources were used to enhance the credibility and validity of the study. Results indicated that the children’s literary responses were highly influenced by their different social relationships with peers. Thus, in order to create supportive literature environments, it is important for teachers to pay considerable attention to what bilingual students experience with eir peers. With more engrossing narratives and vivid descriptions, the study aims to provide insights into the significance of peer relationships and interactions in early literacy practices in bilingual settings.

Source: Early Childhood literacy