"Don't tell him just help him": Restricted interactional activity during a classroom writing lesson

Studies have established the restricted interactional activity that occurs during teacher-led lessons in classrooms. However, little attention has been given in conversation analysis to the interactional accomplishment of restrictions during activity in classrooms when students work alone. This chapter presents an analysis of restricted interactional activity during an independent writing lesson where young children were completing a writing task. During this lesson some children sought information from others about the spelling of unknown words. The analysis in the chapter produces descriptions of the methods used by the teacher and a student to avoid providing the spelling of words. Withholding of information will be shown to result from the restriction on telling, producing working out of words rather than the provision of specific information that was requested.