Relationships between children's drawing and accompanying peer interaction in teacher-initiated drawing sessions.

In this article the author focuses on drawing-related interaction among 5-6-year-old children in two Year One classes in Norwegian primary schools as they engage in teacher-initiated learning activities involving drawing. Inspired in particular by Gunther Kress' semiotic perspective on drawing, the author presents four interaction categories to explore social aspects of young children's engagement in the process of forming visual-graphic signs that convey meaning. The author proposes that while the children's interaction can add support to the drawing process, it may also produce some risk for the children's confidence as drawers. It is the role of the practitioner to manage and facilitate interaction so that support is maximised and risk minimised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]