1. ”Through others we become ourselves”
LEV VYGOTSKY
(1896 – 1934)
”Through others we become ourselves”
Russian psychologist
Died young, at 38 = his research was not finished
Not especially recognized while he lived
His theories have continued to grow in influence since his death, particularly in the field of developmental and educational psychology

2. TOPICS View on learning Social Transmission Role of language
Zone of Proximal Development
Scaffolding
Theory in use Pretend play + Story time

3. DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING
Social interaction has a fundamental role in the development of cognition / mental development (precedes and promotes development)
Development can not be separated from its social context - No single principle can account for development - Individual development cannot be understood without reference to the social and cultural context
Cognition is a group of mental processes – such as learning, producing and understanding language, problem solving Social and cultural contexts = the home, ethnicity, city, social groups etc.

4. SOCIAL TRANSMISSION
Children learn through social transmission Learning as a cognitive apprenticeship Knowledge and skills passed from more able to less able
Young children are curious and actively involved in their learning, discovery and development of new understandings/schema
Central principle that children learn through social transmission
A cognitive apprenticeship between someone more and someone less skilled
Children are not considered passive and uninterested in learning – they are curious and actively involved in their learning, in discovering new things and developing their understanding of the world around them – sorting new skills and ideas in an expanding network of mental schemas (categories)

5. What is a Schema Jessie has a Golden Retriever named Sammy.
The neighbor has a German Shepard, Jessie calls the dog “Sammy”
A parent says “No that’s a different dog, Sammy is at home.”
Jessie is at a petting zoo and sees a Pony, she says, “dog?!”
Jessie has developed a schema about her pet, the more she learns about what a dog is, she is able to change her SCHEMA based on that info.
Changing a schema is called Adaptation, and happens in 2 ways
Assimilation- When new info/ experiences are understood and changes the existing schema
Accommodation- If new info doesn’t fit the schema, the child must modify that schema or construct a new one.

6. LANGUAGE
Language develops from social interactions – communication with surroundings
Plays a central role in mental development
tool of thought
transmit information
Language ability becomes internalized as thought Out-loud comments transformed into internal speech
Internal speech to plan activities and strategies = aid development Language as an accelerator of thinking/understanding
Since social transmission is so important – LANGUAGE is something children learn from parents/surroundings through social interaction
Language then plays a central role in the mental / cogntive development of children The most important tool of thought The main means by which adults transmit information to children
Children start out talking to themselves when problem-solving / working on a new task or skills – mimicking their parents’ explanations, and step-by-steps These out-loud comments are transformed into internal speech as the child's skill increases
talk out loud when problem-solving / learning something new
helps children guide themselves through tasks
as children become more efficient and skilled, these out-loud comments transform to internalized thoughts

7. ”What a child can do in cooperation today,
THE ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT (ZPD)
Identify the tasks children cannot do alone, but can do with assistance
CAN DO ALONE
Co-construct knowledge through a process of guided participation
CAN’T = What can’t be learnt yet – can’t learn a 1st grade 8th grade math
CAN DO ALONE = What is known, can do unaided
ZPD = Skills too difficult to master on his/her own, just beyond abilities, but can be done with guidance and encouragement from someone more knowledgeable, with SOCIAL SCAFFOLDING
= Social interaction a MUST for development of the ZPD
As a teacher / mentor your role is to identify the tasks children can fulfill in the ZPD, and then co-construct knowledge through a process of guided participation
ZPD
CAN’T DO YET
”What a child can do in cooperation today,
he can do alone tomorrow” - Vygotsky

8. In short: Prompt development Model  Coach  Fade / Internalization
SCAFFOLDING
= guided participation
make guided decisions, give directions, discuss and ask questions, encourage
In short: Prompt development
Decrease / Increase level of control in relation to failure / success
Model  Coach  Fade / Internalization
Another central term in Vygotskian thinking Very much related to the ZPD
Guided participation – give directions + engage through prompts, questions, adjustment of tempo / difficulty level Model the skill – coach the child in how to perform the skill – fade as the child internalizes the skill
Less and less directives as the child’s skill increases – child left more and more alone – until he can use the new skill alone, it is internalized
Pushing the limits of the ’CAN’T DO’ circle Filling up the ’CAN DO’ circle with new skills

9. SCAFFOLDING IN USE
As a teacher / parent:
to identify ZPD + provide scaffolding within it
to provide experiences and tasks within the child’s ZPD
accompany by prompting, questioning, simplifications, adjustments Model performance while thinking out loud, give verbal instructions Guide and structure the task, connect to prior knowledge and skills, break down into sub-tasks
In pair-work / group-work:
cooperative learning, mixed-ability groups pair advanced learners with developing ones
PAIR = tutor / apprentice relation – can also be done on a group level
THEORIES IN USE IN TEACHING PROGRAMMES TODAY- among them the ‘Walker Learning Approach’ (Logo linked to website) based in Australia, aimed at children from preschool to year eight
Play-based and personalized learning through social activities / social learning
SLOGAN: ‘To know how to scaffold is to know how to teach’
”To know how to scaffold is to know how to teach” – Kathy Walker, holistic ’Walker Learning Approach’

10. PRETEND PLAY STORY TIME
”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” - Vygotsky Informal cooperative learning – in pairs or small groups Mimicking the language of adults in a range of situations Name, navigate, communicate
Making sense of their world through speech
STORY TIME
If language learning is social – LITERACY EVENTS such as pretend play and story time are valuable resources
Pretend play = developing a vocabulary that allows them to name and navigate and communicate in the world around them
information from the external world is transformed and internalized through language
the children take on different roles and language uses
Story time = Model by reading aloud  Increasing participation by the child Internalization of the skill of reading
Life-to-text / Text-to-life interaction means to link the text to the child’s life and experiences a range of other things (in addition to reading) are also taught – such as knowledge of grammar, language structure, narrative structure etc.
Learning to read through scaffolding
life-to-text / text-to-life interaction = make sense of the world knowledge of grammar, structure, narrative structure etc.
Gradually moving ZPD as the child becomes an autonomous reader
Making sense of their world through reading

11. SOURCES
Barton, David. (1994). Literacy: An Introduction to the Ecology of Written Language.
Geekie, P., Cambourne, B. and Fitzsimmons, P. (2004) Learning as Puzzle Solving. The Routledge Farmer Reader. London: Routledge Farmer.
McLeod, S. A. (2007). Vygotsky - Simply Psychology. 
Oswelt, Angela. Vygotsky's Social Developmental Emphasis.
Play: The Work of Lev Vygotsky.
The Walker Learning Approach.