Describe a Vygotskian early childhood classroom. How does it differ from a Piagetian classroom?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: Both Piagetian and Vygotskian classrooms emphasize active participation and acceptance of individual differences. But a Vygotskian classroom goes beyond independent discovery to promote assisted discovery. Teachers guide children’s learning, tailoring their interventions to each child’s zone of proximal development. Assisted discovery is aided by peer collaboration, as children of varying abilities work in groups, teaching and helping one another.
Vygotsky saw make-believe play as the ideal social context for fostering cognitive development in early childhood. As children create imaginary situations, they learn to follow internal ideas and social rules rather than impulses. For example, a child pretending to go to sleep follows the rules of bedtime behavior. A child imagining himself as a father and a doll as a child conforms to the rules of parental behavior. According to Vygotsky, make-believe play is a unique, broadly influential zone of proximal development in which children try out a wide variety of challenging activities and acquire many new competencies.
Pretending is also rich in private speech—a finding that supports its role in helping children bring action under the control of thought. Preschoolers who spend more time engaged in sociodramatic play are better at inhibiting impulses, regulating emotion, and taking personal responsibility for following classroom rules. These findings support the role of make-believe in children’s increasing self-control.