Social Interaction Will Lay the Ground Work for Our Futures

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Recommended: Early childhood education philosophy

Lev S. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory is a sound theory in early childhood education that incorporates three main elements and three main concepts towards effective cognitive development that this author will later discuss in more detail. Vygotsky’s theory is effective with young children because proving evidence suggests how his practice of his theory precisely connects to the needs and characteristics of a young child. By providing creative and novel examples this author will present her understanding of developmental practices which clearly and precisely connect Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory to multiple influences on development and learning; to include but are not limited to incorporation of social, emotional, and cognitive development practices in connection to personal beliefs and classroom strategies.
To briefly describe Vygotsky’s theory of sociocultural cognitive development one needs to understand that there are three main elements involved that must be incorporated for success; culture, language, and social interaction, and three main concepts that are required for optimal cognitive development; the Zone of Proximal Development, scaffolding, and psychological tools (Louis, 2009).
The Zone of Proximal Development is the area in which a child needs assistance with because it is the area between the child’s current development level and level of development that the child is able to achieve (Perry, 2012). Scaffolding is one of the biggest factors in Vygotsky’s theory because this is when someone more skilled such as, a parent, teacher, or peer, assists the student to construct his or her next level of knowledge (Perry, 2012). There are actually two types of tools that can be incorporated to ensure cognitive devel...

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...to contribute to the learning environment and how multiple influences are a contribution to each child’s development, whether it is socially, emotionally, or cognitively. Remembering to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary for them to foster social interactions deems essential to cognitive development and by scaffolding and use of tools the desired cognitive development will then occur, thus proving successful teaching strategies and theories.

References
Jaramillo, J. A. (1996) VYGOTSKY’S SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONSTRUCTIVIST CURRICULA. Education, 117(1), 133.
Louis, G. W. (2009). Using Glasser’s Choice Theory To Understand Vygotsky. International Joyrnal of Reality Therapy, 28(2), 20-23.
Perry, Nancy and Anita E. Woolfolk. (2012). Child and Adolescent Development .Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

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