Patterns of Questions and Explanations in Family Interactions: Tools Young Children Use for Acquiring Knowledge

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

Children’s early learning experiences are largely shaped by their interactions with the social world. These interactions often take place in informal learning environments with caregivers and other family members. One type of interaction pattern that has received considerable attention is the interaction between children’s questions and an adult’s explanations. Surprisingly, few studies have actually explored how this pattern is related to children’s learning. In this symposium we present data from three separate studies to demonstrate how adult conversational practices are used by children to acquire and reason about new knowledge. Specifically, we focus on the role of the adult explanation and how it is related to children’s epistemological development and subsequent learning.

Sub Unit

• Division E - Counseling and Human Development / Division E - Section 2: Human Development

Chair

• Katelyn E. Kurkul, Merrimack College

Papers

• Questioning as an Epistemically Rich Parent-Child Practice - Jessica Umphress, Northwestern University

• Parent-Child Conversations About Claims With Conflicting Evidence: Individual Variation and Links to Children's Reasoning - Megan R. Luce, Stanford University

• What Children Learn From the Explanations They Hear: Differences in Caregivers' Explanations That Impact Learning - Katelyn E. Kurkul, Merrimack College; Kathleen H. Corriveau, Boston University

Discussant

• Kathleen H. Corriveau, Boston University