Preschoolers in pairs: working together improves memory but not skill generalization

Abstract

This study examined preschool children's ability to remember details from learned tasks and solve novel problems using learning that occurred collaboratively with peers. Children were classified as poor or good problem solvers, paired with other children to build novel toys, and were later tested individually to see if they remembered their original training and generalized building skills to put together a novel toy. Influences on memory and generalizability, such as children's ability level, who they worked with, and language ability, were examined. Results suggest that preschool children remembered more information when working in pairs than when working alone, but they did not solve novel problems any better as a result of working in pairs. These results have important implications regarding the benefits of collaborative problem solving in preschool classrooms and other educational settings catering to very young children.