What Is A Near Peer?

A near peer is a child who recently confronted an experience or developmental milestone that another child will soon face. On the learning spectrum, near pears occupy the space between peers and experts.¹

A near peer is just a few steps ahead in terms of experience or development.

Examples:

• Beth, who has just started walking unassisted, is a Near Peer of Olivia, a mobile infant who has started pulling herself into a standing position
• On Cynthia’s first day of preschool, she meets Thaddeus, a child who has been in the class for three weeks
• Frank learns to make a letter F from slightly older Francis, who has been writing his name for a few weeks

A Near Peer is often what Vygotsky referred to as The More Knowledgeable Other (MKO), someone with more knowledge, better understanding, or greater ability than the learner in relation to a task, concept, or process. They are valuable resources for a child in the Zone Of Proximal Development (ZPD)–that point where they can do something with a bit of assistance.

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1. https://www.captureyourflag.com/