Educators have long been aware of the potent force of peer influence. This article presents a program in which students can feel important and worthwhile in useful ways by becoming involved with other students, such as leading a small group or in working with students individually. (Author)

Examines one child's reconstruction of identity in the transition from preschool to school-based patterns of play in the early weeks of schooling. The study's approach uses detailed linguistic interactional data showing identity as unstable and multiple, and draws attention to the crucial role of peer culture and play in children's experiences of…

Describes an in-class exercise using students' discussion of their answers on a multiple choice test to demonstrate the powerful effects and pervasiveness of social influence. After a brief multiple choice test, students discuss their answers with their neighbors and then answer again. Similar response patterns emerge among the participants. (MJP)