Social Constructivism

Zone of Proximal Development
1. The ideal level of task difficulty needed to facilitate learning, in which a child can be successful with appropriate support.
2. Students need to be challenged to learn-- not completing work that it too simple or frustratingly difficult.
3. The ZPD is reason for differentiating instruction in the classroom. We must help each student to learn by meeting them at their ZPD.
Scaffolding
1. Assistance that adults and more competent peers provide during learning.
2. Buddy or partner reading: 4th graders paired with kindergarteners for reading time-- both love to show off their reading abilities!
3. A clue, word of encouragement, reminder, or breaking down the problem into steps are simple ways to support each learner.
Social Interactions
1. Students learn through their interactions with others within their cultural context.
2. Pairing students or putting them to work in collaborate groups helps them to learn from each other as they work together.
3. Using literature circles, students can build off of one another's ideas and gain a deeper understanding of the text and the reading process.

Resource summary

	Created by Laura L. Johnston over 7 years ago