Managing classroom transgressions: Use of directives in a reading practice

This discourse analysis of classroom interactions examines management of transgressions during reading practice in a religious Russian heritage language school located in California. The detailed analysis of classroom talk-in situ focuses on directive sequences utilized in attempts to divert students' attention away from transgressions and toward the reading activity. The paper contributes to our understanding of activity organization and management, and the process of “positioning” (Davies & Harré, 1990) of actors as “transgressors” and “victims” that takes place during classroom interactions. The analysis demonstrates that at the level of elementary literacy skills development, reading practice, management of the activity, and positioning of actors vis-à-vis each other are multi-party achievements that often consist of multiple sub-projects (including disciplining actions) which become consequential for the activity's progression and successful execution.