This study aims to elucidate the learning process through dialogue among kindergarten teachers concerning episodic records, with a focus on a case study of Kyoto municipal kindergartens. We conducted participant observations of teacher conferences at two kindergartens and interviewed ten teachers who actively participated. By delving into a conference discussion centered on a 3-year-old’s episodic record, this paper describes the interaction between the classroom teacher (the writer of the episodic record) and her colleagues (the readers) at the conference and explores it from three perspectives. First, three categories of comments made by the readers to the writer were delineated: (1) appreciating the writer’s practices and articulating their value; (2) presenting their own opinions; and (3) posing questions regarding the episode and seeking further elaboration. Through these comments, the readers prompt shifts in the writer’s perceptions and offer fresh insights into her practices. Second, the format employed for reading and discussing the written episodes was significant as the comments were not detached from the written content and were directed toward the description rather than the actions, thus enhancing the writer’s awareness. Third, through the dialogue, the writer acquired a new perspective, realizing that the child’s thoughts she sought to understand were expressed through the child’s actions. Importantly, learning was not imparted externally but was instead generated collaboratively by the participants. This can be viewed as a form of learning through dialogue.
