Unit 1 - Lev Vygotsky

• Social Constructivist
• Russian psychologist
• Known in Russia in 1920's and 30's
• Not published in UK until 1960's

• Follows on from Piaget
• Focuses on the role that adults and other children have in a child's learning
• No 'stages' model of development
• Believed children were born to be sociable
• We need to 'extend' children's skills and concepts
• Developed idea of ZPD

This is the vygotskian concept that explains the mechanism of cognitive development

ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) is the gap between what a child can do independently and what a child can do with the support of an adult

ZAD (Zone of Actual Development) is what a child can do independently with no support from an adult.

Social Speech - Social speech is used by children to communicate with others

Inner Speech/Private Speech - Inner speech/private speech is when children talk to themselves, or the 'voice inside their brains'

• Use close observations to assess child's level of development so you can plan next steps
• Use questionning and modelling to develop language skills
• Opportunities for exploration and play to develop private speech