Vygotsky Constructivism Theory

"For learning to occur, the child first makes contact with the social environment on an interpersonal level and then internalizes this experience. The earlier notions and new experiences influence the child, who then construct new ideas." -Foundation Magazine

Vygotsky & Early Childhood Education

Cognitive/Social/Physical Development

Play

Collaborative Problem Solving

Cognitive & Social Development

Working on child's ZPD

Vygotsky expressed the importance of language in development

Class Activity

In the Classroom:

ZPD

"The Vygotskian classroom stresses assisted discovery through teacher-student and student-student interaction. Some of the cognitive strategies that group members bring into the classroom are questioning, predicting, summarizing, and clarifying."

-Foundation Magazine

"If a child is learning to complete a task, such as building a bridge with blocks, and a more competent person provides assistance, then the child is able to move into a new zone of development and problem solving. Vygotsky refers to this process of assisting as "scaffolding," which helps bridge the difference between a child's current level of problem-solving and his potential for more complex problem solving." -CDM

Y

O

A

T

D

• Lesson plans created with the intentions of children working in their ZPD
• Challenging the child
• Assisting the child when needed/appropriate
• Allow for children to problem solve together
• Create reality base/real world situations

• Intellectual development influenced by maturation and experience

• Children want to learn and are always learning

• Children construct their own understandings

Constructivist Model

Knowledge is constructed by interactions with the environment

Constructivist Model:

Behaviorist

• Typical day: children are engaged in activities designed to teach content knowledge or facts
• Social and emotional development is not a primary goal, emphasis on intellectual development
• Curriculum is not integrated, content is arranged by subject matter areas
• Highly structured environment

Constructivist

• Typical day: playing with blocks, purpose: develop concepts in mathematics, such as length and equivalence
• Emphasis on effective social interaction, all areas of development are a priority
• Integrated curriculum is based on children's interests
• Less structured

Vygotsky

Vygotsky

Lev Semyonovish Vygodsky

• Born in Russia in 1896

• Seven siblings

• Jewish

• Died in 1934, age 37

• Work unknown for many years

Constructivist

• Physical development: Focuses on both gross and fine motor development
• Social/Emotional development: Believes social interactions are critical; emphasizes peer learning and problem solving in relationships
• Cognitive development: Focuses on skills needed at the time and on teaching skills through projects child chooses

Behaviorist

• Physical development: Gives little attention
• Social/Emotional development: Believes self-esteem is developed as child gains cognitive competence
• Cognitive development: Focuses on learning facts and responding to questions; lessons are highly sequenced

Elizabeth Brown. Audrey Naber. Tori Klingler.

Zone of Proximal Development

Area between what the child can do alone and what the child cannot do, even with assistance.

“It is more than a little ironic that children play school but are not allowed to play in school. It is tragically misguided and myopic. The fact that children can play school, both before they ever go to one and once they are in school, is remarkable and remarkably important.”

- Lois Holzman

Vygotsky and Play

Free Play

Pretend play and fantasy activities

"What a child can do in cooperation today, he can do alone tomorrow" -Lev Vygotsky

Game Play

Structured and explicitly rule-governed activities

Imagination + Rules = Development

Imaginative Sphere

Actions free the players from situational constraints, yet imposes constraints of its own.

“Play creates a zone of proximal development of the child. In play a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behavior; in play it is as though he were a head taller than himself” - Lev Vygotsky