To help children scaffold their learning, teachers need to use Vygotskys zone of
proximal development. This will help individualize the learning for each student and meet them
where they are developmentally and foster their development to the next level. Understanding
Piagets stages of cognitive development theory help teachers know how children develop
through stages so that we can support their learning. Childrens minds consist of rich structures
of knowledge that are built upon through their experiences and environment (Berk, 2012, p. 20).
Asking open-ended questions is a great way to help children learn how to think deeper and foster
that development. Teachers need to teach the whole child. To be able to do that, we need to look
at the outside environments that effects the childs development. Bronfenbrenners ecological
system ties everything together, all of the environments that impact a childs development and
how they intertwine together. It starts with the closest environments to the child and work its
way out. This is important to consider as an educator because it is the best way that we can teach
the whole child. Where the child spends their days impacts their development and how they will
develop. This system is bio ecological because the childs biology is also impacted by the
environments (Berk, 2012, p. 26).
Children are developing physically, cognitively, and socially. It can be challenging, at
times, but they are so worth the effort because they will surprise us by how much they develop
every time.