ZPD

media type="youtube" key="PwWrR1YQqN8" height="344" width="425" The whole-language approach to teaching reading and writing draws on this notion. As children play and interact with others at home and at school, they develop specific models of communication, expression and explanation. Goodman and Goodman believe this social use of language forms the basis for literacy. Tharp and Gallimore use a four-stage model of ZPD to show how children develop speech and language. Various researchers also suggest that the activities included in the ZPD reflect the cultural background of the learner.
 * ZDP**- zone of proximal development is Vygotsky's idea that a child follows the adult's example and gradually develops the ability to do certain tasks without help or assistance. He called the difference between what a child can do with help and what he or she can do without guidance ZPD.

Thoughts on ZDP: Lev Semonovich Vygotsky (supposedly) developed the ZPD concept to consider the problems of the measurement of mental age and the prediction of future development and learning. Thus, the concept of ZPD has obvious mental testing implications. For example, if we have knowledge of one's ZPD for a particular skill, we can predict how that learner will independently utilize that skill in the near future. Vygotsky's discussion of the relationship between learning and development also has important instructional ramifications. In addition to suggesting intellectual functioning, maximally effective instruction occurs within the learner's ZPD. Instruction directed at the level of completed development can, of course, increase the knowledge base, but will have minimal effect upon the student's cognitive ability. Instruction directed beyond the proximal level will tend to be incomprehensible to the student and thus will affect neither knowledge or cognitive ability. The most effective teaching is therefore somewhat, but not too much, in advance of development. (http://www.igs.net/~cmorris/zpd.html)