THE VYGOTSKIAN

APPROACH TO EARLY

YEARS EDUCATION

Galina Dolya

WINGS 2010

TEACHING GIFTEDNESS

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VYGOTSKIAN APPROACH TO EARLY YEARS EDUCATION

ENRICHMENT CURRICULUM FOR EARLY YEARS PRACTITIONERS

This unique educational programme is the result of more than 50 years of
research into the practical application of Vygotsky’s ideas about teaching
and learning. It has led to the development of principles, curriculum
content and methods aimed at developing the trio of general learning
abilities - communicative, self-regulative and cognitive of young children
(age three to seven). They are the learning abilities that are the
prerequisites for success at school and for creative and intellectual
achievement.

The curriculum has breadth and diversity and offers specially designed
optimal learning experiences (Story Grammar, Visual-Spatial, Sensory
Maths, Developmental Games, Artographics, Logic, Creative Modelling,
Exploration, Mathematics, Construction, You-Me-World and Expressive
Movement) that amplify development but does not accelerate it. It is based
on a systematic introduction of children to sensory standards and Visual-
Modelling.

Children independently construct object-based, graphic and motor models
and use them for solving cognitive problems. It develops symbolic literacy
and introduces different psychological tools (signs, symbols, maps,
diagrams, models, plans and above all language). This approach makes it
possible to substantially increase the developmental effect of education
and its influence on the development of cognitive abilities. It helps children
to become independent learners. It teaches Giftedness!

Galina Dolya is the Curriculum Director of Key to Learning, which
has developed an innovative Vygotskian approach to Early Years
Education. She is an acknowledged world leading expert on the
practical

application

of

Vygotsky’s

Theory

of

Learning

and Development. She has worked at every level from Early Years
to University and trained hundreds of teachers and trainers world-
wide. Currently she is a Researcher in the Department of
Psychology and Pedagogy of Abilities at the Research Institute of
Development of Preschool Education, Russian Academy for
Education, Moscow.

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10 Galina Dolya

This session is designed to introduce the Vygotskian approach to Early Years
Education and enable teachers to equip young children with mental tools necessary for
learning, so they can use them independently and creatively. Lev Vygotsky is a major
figure and revolutionary thinker in his understanding of how children develop. The
foundation of his philosophy is the belief that the purpose of education is to transform
every child so that they, in turn, can go on to contribute to the transformation of society
and of humankind itself. Western interest in Vygotsky dates from the early sixties. The
Russian “Mozart of Psychology” is being vigorously rediscovered. Vygotsky’s name has
become fashionable amongst educators. Pedagogy looks for a new vision of school in
this legacy. Jerome Bruner reflected this hope in the phrase “Vygotsky’s Theory of
Development is at the same time the Theory of Education”.

Vygotsky will help us to examine our roles as the adults in the classroom, in a different
way, providing many more alternatives for action. He will help us to see ourselves as
partners with children in the great journey to learn. Vygotsky’s idea of tools of the
human mind is a novel and unique way of viewing mental development. Vygotsky
proposed that mental tools are to the mind as mechanical tools are to the body. Just as
we humans have invented physical tools to increase our physical capacities, so we
have also created mental tools or ‘tools of the mind’ to extend our mental abilities. The
concept of mental tools offers a fresh perspective and possible ways of making
education more attuned to the needs of teaching thinking and creative problem solving.

Thinking is the magic word in education today. This is as it should be because it is the
lack of cognitive curriculum that has produced a nation of children who can get the right
answer, but often do not know how they got it! Incorporating an active thinking skills
component to the pre-school and primary curriculum is an essential place to start.

Participants will be able to explore ‘cultural’ methods of developing cognitive abilities,
both intellectual and creative, drawing on recent research and practical experience.

The specific feature of the ‘cultural’ methods is that they are applied not as much in
relation to real objects as with their symbolic representation: symbols, diagrams,
models, plans. With the help of signs, children learn to analyse reality independently,
work out ways of solving problems, notice and understand the structure of different
objects, and express their own attitude towards the world around them.

Every child, no matter how intelligent, must acquire the basic cognitive functions in
order to think logically, perceive the world in structured, orderly and reasonable ways,
know how to learn, and apply his or her intelligence to new learning and problem
solving situations without further need of mediation. A cognitive curriculum develops
creativity and imagination, stretches the mind, broadening children’s understanding and
thinking processes, and thus increases their educability.

THE VYGOTSKIAN APPROACH

TO EARLY YEARS EDUCATION

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THERE IS NOTHING MORE PRACTICAL THAN A GOOD THEORY

What is so special in Vygotsky’s theory that makes it attractive and relevant more than half a
century after its conception?
One possible explanation is that of this puzzling phenomenon is that Vygotsky’s theory offers us
answers to the questions that were not asked earlier. It is only now that we have started posing
questions that make Vygotsky’s “answers” relevant. (

Alex Kozulin, 2003)

LEV VYGOTSKY IN HIS OWN WORDS

THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER MENTAL FUNCTIONS

All higher mental functions are internalised social relationships. . . . Their composition, genetic
structure, and means of action - in a word, their whole nature - is social. Even when we turn to
mental processes, their nature remains quasi-social. In their own private sphere, human beings
retain the functions of social interaction. (Vygotsky 1981: 164)

One may say that only through others do we become ourselves. This rule applies to each
psychological function as well to the personality as a whole.

(ZPD): ACTUAL PERFORMANCE AND LEARNING POTENTIAL

The Zone of Proximal Development defines those functions that have not yet matured but are in
the process of maturation, functions that will mature tomorrow but are currently in an embryonic
state. These functions could be termed the "buds" or "flowers" of development rather than the
"fruits" of development. The actual developmental level [IQ or achievement] characterizes mental
development retrospectively, while the Zone of Proximal Development characterizes mental
development prospectively.(Vygotsky 1978, 86-87)
The Zone of Proximal Development ... is the distance between the actual developmental level as
determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined
through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers
(Vygotsky 1978a: 86)

The child is able to copy a series of actions which surpass his or her own capacities, but only
within limits. By means of copying, the child is able to perform much better when together with and
guided by adults than when left alone, and can do so with understanding and independently. The

Symbolic Thought

Sensorimotor Thought

Deliberate Memory

Associative Memory

Focussed Attention

Reactive Attention

HIGHER FUNCTIONS

Unique to humans, passed on by teaching

LOWER FUNCTIONS

Inborn, shared with higher animals

DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER MENTAL FUNCTIONS

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difference between the level of solved tasks that can be performed with adult guidance and help
and the level of independently solved tasks is the Zone of Proximal Development. (1982, p.117)

The greater or lesser the child's ability to transfer from what he knows how to do on his own to
what he can do in co-operation proves to be the most sensitive symptom that characterises the
dynamics of the child's development and school progress. It wholly coincides with the zone of his
next development … Education must be orientated not towards the yesterday of child development
but towards its tomorrow. (Vygotsky)

The greater or lesser the child's ability to transfer from what he knows how to do on his own to
what he can do in co-operation proves to be the most sensitive symptom that characterises the
dynamics of the child's development and school progress. It wholly coincides with the zone of his
next development … Education must be orientated not towards the yesterday of child development
but towards its tomorrow. (Vygotsky)

PSYCHOLOGICAL TOOLS

Sign is the most important psychological tool (Vygotsky)

…man builds new forms of action in his mind and on paper, first of all leads ‘battles’ on maps and
works with mental models (Vygotsky)

Models

Music Notation

Letters

Numbers

Symbols

Tables

Signs

Diagrams

Formulae

F = ma

Schemas

Graphs

Plans

Charts

Maps

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1

2

3

4

5

6

Series2

LANGUAGE – UNIVERSAL CULTURAL TOOL AND MECHANISM FOR THINKING

Word is a microcosm of conscientiousness. Thought happens in word. (Vygotsky)

"The speech structures mastered by the child become the basic structures of his [or her] thinking. .
. . Thought development is determined by language, i.e., by the linguistic tools of thought and by
the socio-cultural experience of the child. . . . The child's intellectual growth is contingent on
...mastering the social means of thought, that is, language." (Vygotsky 1987)

Language gives children a powerful tool that helps them solve difficult tasks, inhibit impulsive
actions, plan solutions to problems before executing them, and ultimately, control their own
behaviour (Vygotsky 1978)

Drawing and play should be preparatory stages in the development of children's' language.
Children should be taught written language not just the writing of letters. (Vygotsky 1978)

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T

he best method for teaching reading and writing is one in which children do not learn to read and

write but in which both these skills are found in play situations... In the same way that children
learn to speak they should be able to read ant write. (Vygotsky 1978)1978 p 118)

PLAY – LEADING ACTIVITY OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

"A child's greatest achievements are possible in play, achievements that tomorrow will become his
basic level of real action and morality...
It is the essence of play that a new relation is created... between situations in thought and real
situations." (Vygotsky 1978)

Play also creates the Zone of Proximal Development of the child. In play it is though the child were
a head taller than his current self and was trying to jump above the head of his normal behaviour.
As in the focus of a magnifying glass, play contains all the developed functions in a condensed
form. (Vygotsky 1978)

ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

Just as the gardener, who estimates the future crops would be wrong only to count the ripe
fruit in the garden for one season without accounting for the condition of the trees, the
psychologist, who constraints himself only to the assessment of the actual development of the
child, whilst ignoring potential for future development, will never be able to gain a true and
complete picture of the child's development. (Vygotsky)

EMOTIONAL COGNITION

Feeling is as important as thought in stimulating creativity. (Vygotsky 1978)

Thought can be the slave of feeling but it can be its master too. (Vygotsky 1978)

LEARNING THROUGH SOCIAL INTERACTION

Every function in the child's cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later
on the individual one. First between people (interpersonal) and then inside the child
(intrapersonal). (Vygotsky 1978)

ROLE OF INSTRUCTION

Instruction is one of the principal sources of the schoolchild's concepts and is also a powerful
force in directing their evolution; it determines the fate of his total mental development.
(Vygotsky 1962, p85)

Properly organized instruction will result in the child's intellectual development, will bring into being
an entire series of such developmental processes, which were not at all possible without
instruction. Thus instruction is a necessary and general factor in the child's process of
development - not of the natural but of the historical traits of man ((Vygotsky 1978)1982, p.121

)

The only good kind of instruction is that that marches ahead of development and leads it: it must
be aimed not so much at the ripe as at the ripening functions. (Vygotsky 1986 p188)

ON THINKING

One needs courage in order to act. However, one needs even more courage in order to think.
(Vygotsky)

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Thinking always emerges from the action of overcoming the obstacles (Vygotsky)

Reflection is a 'becoming' space for the new thinking and imagining. It is the living force of
consciousness. (Vygotsky)

LEARNING ACTIVITY

Every highest mental function appears on stage twice in the development of children; the first time
as a collective, social activity and later on as an individual activity, as an internal method of the
child's thinking…

(Vygotsky, 1991, Pedagogical Psychology).

Personal activity of a student should be at the base of the educational process and all the skills of
the educator should be directed at this activity and regulate it.

(Vygotsky, 1991, Pedagogical Psychology).

The psychological law says: before you want to call a child to any activities, you will have to
interest him/her to think in advance in order to find things out so that the child is ready for such
activity, so that he/she will do everything in its power to do it by himself, and the teacher will only
have to guide the child and to keep him/her on its track

(Vygotsky, 1991, Pedagogical Psychology)

The educational process turns out to be a three-cornered active process: a child is active, a
teacher is active and the environment between them is active as well.

(Vygotsky, 1991, Pedagogical Psychology).

SCIENTIFIC AND EVERYDAY CONCEPTS

Scientific concepts restructure and raise everyday concepts to a higher level. Instruction in
scientific concepts plays a decisive role in the child’s mental development. Reflective
conscientiousness comes to the child through the portals of scientific concepts.

(Vygotsky 1986 p. 171)

Scientific concepts just start their development, rather than finish it, at a moment when the child
learns the term or word-meaning denoting the new concept. (Vygotsky 1986 p. 159)

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Being ready for school now

doesn’t necessarily mean

being able to read, write and count,

but being ready to learn how

to read, write and count.

L. Venger

…developing abilities, unlocking possibilities…

…

developing abilities, unlocking possibilities…

CLASSIFICATION OF ABILITIES BY

O. DIACHENKO & N. VERAKSA

Linguistic

Mathematical

Musical

Physical

Visual / artistic

Intra-personal

Inter-personal

Naturalist

Intellectual

ability to solve problems

in a standard way

Creative

ability to find original solutions

to problems

Cognitive

ability to identify,

model and change

relationships

Self-regulative

ability to make and

implement plans

Communicative

ability to understand

others and be understood

General

abilities we use for all types of activities

Abilities

those qualities which provide

successful learning

Symbolic

ability to see one
object in another

Normative-stabilizing

ability to reflect reality

Dialectical

ability to transform ideas

Specific

abilities we need

for specific types of action

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The Vygotskian Approach to Early Education

THE TECHNOLOGY OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT

…developing abilities, unlocking possibilities…

‘Key to Learning’ Developmental Cognitive Curriculum

offers specially designed optimal learning experiences that are

It creates right conditions for minds to open, for learning to

become a pleasure and for creativity to flourish

• shared by children and responsive adults

 emotionally vibrant, playful and enjoyable

 challenging but attainable

 precisely matched to children’s learning and development

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CREATIVE MODELLING
through shared activity children discover symmetry and pattern by manipulating geometric shapes
to create artistic compositions of the world around them. Develops co-operative and social skills

SENSORY MATHEMATICS
develops the ability to analyse the external, visual qualities of objects using sensory standards such
as colour, shape and size. It builds the foundation for the development of mental abilities

EXPRESSIVE MOVEMENT
develops emotional intelligence, non-verbal communication skills, creativity and productive
imagination through body movement, gestures, facial expressions and music

YOU - ME - WORLD
using symbols and visual models children learn about themselves as physical, emotional and
social beings; about the natural and material world, about living things and inanimate objects

EXPLORATION
through games, stories and simple yet powerful experiments children discover important scientific
concepts - states of matter, different qualities of substances and transformations

VISUAL-SPATIAL
develops spatial awareness and the ability to ‘read’ maps. Children look at objects in space, use
symbols to represent what they and others see through visual models - maps, schemes and plans

LOGIC
develops the ability to analyse objects and events, see their invisible sides, identify their most
essential characteristics, think sequentially, draw conclusions, classify and systematise information

DEVELOPMENTAL GAMES
playing in small and large groups children develop productive imagination, symbolic literacy, language
and communication skills, flexible thinking, creative problem solving, self-regulation and self-esteem

CONSTRUCTION
develops mathematical language and goal directed behaviour. Children analyse the structure of
objects , plan, articulate their plans and execute them using wooden modular building blocks

STORY GRAMMAR
develops a love of story, ownership of story language and a profound understanding of story
structure by following a specific set of procedures known as visual modelling

ARTOGRAPHICS
cultivates the essential skills required both for writing and creative artistic expression.
Develops ‘art vision’ and introduces different symbolic tools - composition, rhythm and colour

MATHEMATICS
using visual models children discover the language of Mathematics and concept of measurement,
compare different quantities and qualities of objects and explore the relationships more, less, equal

DEVELOPMENTAL COGNITIVE CURRICULUM

FOR EARLY EDUCATION

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For further information:

Galina Dolya

 =44 (0) 1582 831360

[e-mail]

www.keytolearning.com

The TV Programme about the Key to Learning curriculum,

which was made for the Teachers’ Channel, can be

downloaded from the internet:

‘Laying the Foundations 1’

http://www.teachers.tv/subjectBlockProgramme.do?transmissionBlockId=11470

9&zoneId=1&transmissionProgrammeId=110529

‘Laying the Foundations 2’

http://www.teachers.tv/subjectBlockProgramme.do?transmissionBlockId=11470

9&zoneId=1&transmissionProgrammeId=114847

Or once you’re there just click ‘Watch it online’

.