Multimodality and footing in peer correction in reading picture books

This paper is a talk-in-interaction investigation of the multimodal design of peer correction in reading picture books. The focus is on what Erickson (1982a) calls the “double functionality” of moves involved in engaging in a learning task, where one aspect is subject matter content (e.g., correction of a misread word) and the second is a social relational aspect. In examining these features of children's peer reading, Goffman's (1981) notion of footing is applied so as to explore the diverse modalities through which children establish their own social order. This paper argues that by locating the achievement of reading a new word within the situated activity of reading with a peer, we are able to see children's competence and agency in enacting an environment for language and literacy learning. The evidence presented to support this argument draws into question dominant characterizations of peer talk in classroom settings as being unproductive or impoverished.