Analysis Of Vygotsky's Zone Of Proximal Development

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Socio cultural theories hypothesise that children learn from social interactions, these social interactions can stem from a diverse range of social settings and the culture that is embedded in these practices (Rogoff, 2012). This extends to local community services, services that visit the centre and families that attend a service who participate in the program.
Bronfenbrenner (as cited in Kearns, 2010) informs us that the most important aspects of any child's environment are the people with whom they form close relationships; parents, educators, peers and their community. They offer the child significant guidance in their everyday experiences, as they introduce complex social structures and scaffold their learning. They foster communication
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This is where families and extended communities can offer children diverse perspectives, practices and outlooks. Educators promote partnerships with families and communities providing children with new connections to diversity of knowledge (Arthur, 2012).
A program that provides children and families with opportunities to connect on many levels by sharing positive diverse interactions will ensure a connectedness to family and community (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, (DEEWR), 2009).
By accessing and building relationships with knowledgeable members of our community such as; Aged Care facilities, Dental practitioners, Vic Roads, Animal Nursery and Australia Post we are offering a diverse range of learning opportunities for the whole family. These learning experiences can be scaffolded upon by parents, children and educators. The Zone of Proximal Development plays an integral part in our program as it provides children and families with opportunities to connect on many levels by sharing positive diverse experiences and interactions. This also assists in building a child’s view of the world and helps them structure their understanding of their world (Rogoff,
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This could be facilitated by excursions such as a visit to the local Aged Care facility where children are encouraged to interact and participate in games with the residents. In addition, incursions such as Australia Post will foster a combination of thought and language and social interactions with meaningful community services (Arthur, 2012). These interactions and experiences can then be scaffolded to provide further and deeper learning outcomes for the children and their families (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), 2009, Standard 6.3).
Acknowledging our families and community strengths and the vast amount of information they have to offer can bring diverse learning opportunities to the centre. Children’s learning is supported and facilitated through these sociocultural practices. Parents are children’s first teachers. Validating and encouraging the expertise and possible learning outcomes for children and the diversity that parents bring to a centre, will ensure children’s learning outcomes are broad and enriching (Rogoff,