A Method of Analysis of Cognitive Interactions in the Proximal Environment of the Young Child

A proposed model of the child's proximal environment & a methodology of cognitive interaction analysis focusing on exchanges of meaning between the child & his or her interlocutors & on the manipulation of objects during the course of the interaction analyze three components: (1) the task interaction resulting from presentation of an ordered list of prerequisites that account for the elaboration degree of the interaction task (cognitive ergonomics studies), (2) the interaction content from the viewpoint of objects' occurrence & natural properties (representation & semantic memory studies), & (3) the assistance provided by the tutors (problem solving studies). The model is applied to data collected from 800 videorecorded interactions collected in parent-run preschool programs. Three factors are considered in differentiating the occurrence & nature of interactions: the child's age, the character of the family, & the degree of parental pedagogical involvement. The study reveals a directly proportional relationship between the three factors & highlights the importance of parental involvement. 7 Figures, 41 References. Adapted from the source document