ABSTRACT
Children who had the same teacher during the previous year associated frequently at the beginning of the year, but once regular task activities began, differing patterns of peer relations emerged. In the recitation-organized classrooms, the emergence of academically homogeneous peer grouping paralleled the formation of academic elites. Neighborhoods were indicated by the official, community named areas. The children lived primarily in two non-adjacent neighborhoods, Lakeside and Parkwood. Achievement level was defined by teacher ratings of each of their pupils. Gym was a notable exception for the boys. When the children were allowed to choose teams, the top boy athletes usually chose to play together regardless of academic performance level. The emergence of friendship groups based on academic performance in the recitation-organized classrooms seemed to reflect the importance that achievement played in these classrooms.
