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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Jeff Johnson is an early learning trainer, podcaster, and author and the founder of Explorations Early Learning and Playvolution HQ.
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