Dominic's writing

This text was written by Dominic during independent writing. My analysis of the social organization of independent writing included sequences of talk where Dominic asked the teacher how to write 'like' and 'very'.

Dominic: how to you spell very?
Teacher: (0.4) what does very start ↑ with (0.2) veah (1.0)
((Mckiela writing 'a'))
Dominic: ‘v’((begins to write))

The teacher's response to Dominic's question was a question. It required Dominic to work out the first letter of the word 'very'. The question "pointed" Dominic to the first letter of the word, and was followed by articulation of that letter for him to hear. Dominic's response, to name the letter and to begin to record it, shows his familiarity with the teacher's method of getting students to work out the spelling of words. The interaction accomplishes the withholding of information directly requested by Dominic but leads to his recording of the first letter of 'very'.