1. Define the Zone of Proximal Development (6)
The ZPD is defined as the gap between actual and potential development, that is, the gap between
what a child can do unaided by an adult and what he or she can do under the guidance of an adult or
in collaboration with more capable peers.
The ZPD helps teachers to realise that two children who are capable of the same performance at
present may not achieve the same level of performance 6 months from now. By observing how
learners perform on problem-solving when they are assisted, teachers have a better indicator of
potential performance than they do by considering just what learners can do on unaided tests.
The ZPD is important because it emphasises social interaction in facilitating development
(SG p 17)
Illustrate how you, as a teacher can discover your learner’s ZPD (6)
1.Observation
of learners during class activities. This will enable you to become aware of their
developmental levels and the type of instructional activities that suit them better.
2. Interviewing or questioning
learners one-on-one. By means of questioning them, you can probe their reasoning behind
answers and discover how they construct knowledge, possibly giving you better insight into
how they process information.
3. Conducting formal assessments
of learners’ capabilities. This will enable you to determine what learners can do unassisted
(on their own), and what kind of support they need.
(SG p 18)
,2. List and Explain Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development (12)
Sensory-motor stage (0-2 years)
Pre-operational stage (2-6 years)
Concrete operational stage (7-11 years)
Formal operational stage (12 years and older)
The sensory-motor stage (birth to about 2 years)
Infants' gross motor skills develop quickly during the first year, culminating in the ability to
start walking at the age of 14 or 15 months.
Fine motor skills also develop quickly during this period, so that by the middle of their first
year, babies can already coordinate both hands to pick up and manipulate objects.
Perceptual skills are already functioning shortly after birth and improve quickly during the first
year
Sub-stages of sensory-motor stage:
Sub stage 1: The practising of reflexes (from birth to approximately 1 month)
We know that new-born babies already possess certain reflexes, such as the
sucking reflex. As with any motor skill, this reflex improves, over time, so that
the older baby can suck more strongly than the new-born baby.
Sub stage 2: Adaptation of reflexes (from approximately 1 to 4 months)
During this period, reflexes become used as a means to achieve a goal.
Whereas the baby first sucked its thumb purely as a reflex action, now it
learns to bring the thumb to its mouth in order to repeat the satisfying sucking
sensation = "primary circular reaction".
Sub stage 3: Taking notice of objects separate from the body (from
approximately 4 to 8 months)
The primary circular reaction, which was primarily focused on the baby's
body, such as sucking its thumb and grasping its own limbs, is now followed
by an interest in objects.
Objects are grasped and first of all brought to the mouth, where the primary
need for sucking is still centred.
Whereas the baby performed the primary circular reactions with its own body,
now it begins to do this with objects.
This is called the secondary circular reaction and is characterised by more
purposeful actions than in sub stage 2.
These actions are aimed at exploring the world around the baby, beginning
with an examination of objects.
Sub stage 4: Carrying out one task in order to carry out a subsequent task
(approximately 8 to 12 months)
For the first time, the motor activity reveals a purposeful movement directed
at reaching a goal.
If, for instance, a baby reaches for a toy and a cloth is placed over the toy,
the baby will lift up the cloth to reach the toy.
This movement is called the tertiary circular reaction.
, Sub stage 5: Experimentation (from about 12 to 18 months)
In this stage, babies are able to begin experimenting with the tertiary circular
reactions already established.
They can already make the movements, but now they use them simply to see
what will happen.
If a baby boy has learnt that some toys rattle, he will also pick up a teddy
bear and shake it to see if it rattles. If he puts a soft rubber toy in his mouth
and is able to chew on it, he will try it with a woolly toy to see what happens.
So this stage consists of the repetition of certain movements to see what the
result will be. There is thus an element of estimation and expectation
involved.
Sub stage 6: The use of symbols (approximately 18 to 24 months)
During this stage, children can already say words and make gestures to show
what they want.
They have already learnt that the word or the gesture stands for something
else.
Naming is an important intellectual activity and will be discussed in more
detail under the development of language.
The use of symbolism can now be observed in the baby's play as well.
For example, a baby will hold a toy that looks like a telephone to his ear or
use an object that looks like a pencil to scribble on a surface in front of him.
By the time babies can use symbols, they can begin to foresee the consequences of their
actions. For example, a baby will see that putting yet another block on her already toppling
tower of blocks will mean that the tower will tumble down. So she puts down the block and
pushes over the whole tower herself to get more fun out of it.
The ability to use symbols marks the end of the sensorimotor stage and the beginning of pre-
operational thought.
The pre-operational thought stage (2 to 6 years)
We have seen that even in the sensorimotor stage, the baby began to make use of symbols.
Because pre-schoolers have only just learnt to use symbolism, we can presume that their use
of symbolism is at a beginner's level, rather than advanced.
Characteristics of symbolic thinking in the pre-operational stage:
Egocentrism
Children in the pre-operational stage believe that others see the world as
they see it.
The concept of egocentrism therefore indicates that children find it difficult to
see the world from another's viewpoint.
For example, Thandi plays on her mother's bed while her mother is dressing
for work. She discovers the shoulder pads inside the dress lying on the bed.
"I know why dresses have these little cushions in," she remarks. "Why,
Thandi?" her mother asks. "So that babies can sleep on their mommy's
shoulder when they get tired in church."
This is a typical example of egocentric thought; preschool children view and
evaluate everything in relation to themselves.
