The silencing of Sammy: One struggling reader learning with his peers

Lilly, Sammy, and Caroline (all children's names are pseudonyms) are sittin g at their table collaboratively creating a word web. The teacher has divid ed her first-grade class into groups of three or four children. Each group is to create a web around an animal name. The teacher is present as the chi ldren work, but her intent is to have the children proceed with the activit y as they, not she. directs. This teacher values collaboration and independ ence. This is explicit, as evidenced by her statement that each group shoul d "work as a team," as well as implied by her minimal intrusion as they wor k. The children enjoy working in such child-directed literacy events. These events occur frequently, so the children know what to do and are able to g et to work promptly after the instructions are provided.