Abstract
Using the ethnomethodological approach, this paper investigates how children are subconsciously understood by preschool teachers in their daily routine. Ethnomethodology is a way to describe the methodological knowledge that members of a particular community commonly use. To illustrate this, one must observe how everyday activities are organized by the members of the community. Using an ethnomethodological analysis of how a preschool teacher communicates with a child, this paper shows that preschool teachers understand children by referring to the rules of preschool culture; for example, whether or not children are able to wait is an important factor used by preschool teachers to decide whether children comprehend and interpret instructions properly.
