Elementary school students are often educated via small-group activities; however, education on communication within those small groups to gain knowledge is often neglected and thus fails to fulfill the intended objectives of small-group education in the first place. This study examines patterns of communication within small group activities of Korean elementary school classes and suggests ways to have small-group communication contribute to knowledge accumulation. Considering the level of learning, six small groups were organized in the following levels: advanced, upper-middle, and lower-middle. The advanced group’s conversation patterns showed that they did exchange knowledge but not in a mature manner. Most groups showed that a group conversation could proceed up to the level of knowledge exploration. Regarding content construction, aspects of argumentation and knowledge accumulation usually occurred, and the conversation tended to center around the host. Talk plays a significant role in resolving problems with collaboration and knowledge construction within a small group. It is necessary to create educational content for small group talk that can contribute to learning based on the level at which the elementary school students are.