Small-group interactions as a source of learning opportunities in second-grade mathematics.

Small-group problem solving was used as a primary instructional strategy for all aspects of second-grade mathematics, including computation, for the entire school year. This gave rise to learning opportunities that do not typically occur in traditional classrooms, including those that arise from collaborative dialogue as well as from the resolution of conflicting points of view. The nature of these learning opportunities is elaborated and illustrated. The manner in which the teacher used paradigm cases as she initiated and guided discussion of obligations and expectations to make possible the mutual construction of classroom norms for cooperative learning is also illustrated. This and the use of cognitively based activities designed to be problematic for children at a variety of conceptual levels are the crucial features of a cooperative learning environment in the absence of extrinsic rewards.