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Developmental Levels

ZPD theory is not merely focused on a child's present level of achievement but also onthe child's proximal (or potential) level of achievement. Teachers who seek to implementZPD theory must anticipate and encourage student growth, however minimal suchgrowth may seem. "To aim instruction at the child's ZPD," according to the MetropolitanState College of Denver, "the teacher needs to know not only what the child'sdevelopmental level is at the time but also what skills and concepts will be next todevelop."

Collaboration

Teachers are not the only people who can encourage student growth potential within aclassroom. A student's peers also possess the ability to stimulate learning and growth.Pearson Education, an education publishing company, suggests that "cooperativelearning activities can be planned with groups of children at different levels who can helpeach other learn."

Goals

The ultimate goal of teachers who rely on ZPD theory should be to assist students intheir ability to express skills of metacognition. The book, "Metacognition in Learning andInstruction," explains that in accordance with the ZPD theory, "more competent others(teachers, parents, peers) help students by providing them with information andtemporary support which is gradually decreased as the student's competence increases."

Interpersonal Growth

Under the influence of ZPD theory, educators seek to guide students at critical stages ofthe learning process. Through fulfilling the function of a facilitator, a teacher engages infrequent interactions with a student. Such interactions, though designed to recognizeand nurture student's potential, may indirectly serve to model positive social conduct. As

a result, students who are taught in accord with ZPD theory are likely to exhibit markedinterpersonal growth.

Implications

Vygotsky's ZPD theory stands in direct opposition to standardized testing. Such testing isviewed as a static form of assessment, not focused on a student's growth potential.Standardized tests, argued Vygotsky, are methodological in design and are unreliablemeasures of a child's latent talents or skills.

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How to Read in the Zone of Proximal Development Mediating

The educator Lev Vygotsky coined the term "zone of proximal development" to describe the difference

between performing a skill with assistance versus performing it on one's own. When students perform

a skill (e.g., reading) on their own, they may do better or worse than when they perform the skill under

the guidance of an educator. The difference between the two performances is called, in Vygotsky'susage, the zone of proximal development. Mediating this zone for educators is a practice that centers

on the particulars of the student and the reading curriculum.

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Instructions1.

o 1Assign a reading task to the student, such as reading aloud the first paragraph of a bookand describing the passage's meaning.

o 2Assist the student in completing the task. Help the student read aloud. Prompt thestudent with questions about the meaning of the passage. Offer suggested meanings andopen-ended questions.

3.Assign another reading task to the student at the same difficulty level as the firstassignment. Do not help the student this time.

4

Judge the disparity between the student's performance in accomplishing the task withhelp versus without help. The difference is the zone of proximal development.

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mediating.html#ixzz29zEqJMSdAssign another reading task to the student at the samedifficulty level as the first assignment. Do not help the student this time.

4

Judge the disparity between the student's performance in accomplishing the task withhelp versus without help. The difference is the zone of proximal development.

Tips & Warnings

Alternate helping students with a task and letting them work independently on a similar task. If they onlywork with your help as a guide, they cannot find the zone of proximal development.

Guide students through simple tasks. Combine simple tasks into more complex ones when students have

succeeded at working on the simple tasks independently.

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