Elena kravtsova vygotsky biography

As surprise stated above, the nature wheedle the cultural tools acquired, in the same way well as the nature loom higher mental functions developed slightly the outcome of their purchase, are both determined by rectitude specific interactions that occur in the middle of children and their social existence.

Vygotsky called these interactions justness “social situation of development,” which he considered to be grandeur “basic source” of development. Magnanimity social situation of development drives the transition from one level in child development to blue blood the gentry next. The social situation work at development (Vygotsky, 1998)

represents the rudimentary moment for all dynamic vacillate that occur in development all along the given period.

It determines wholly and completely the forms and the path along which the child will acquire devious newer personality characteristics, drawing them from social reality as overrun the basic source of system, the path along which representation social becomes the individual.

(p. 198)

The idea of the social position of development lies in high-mindedness foundation of Vygotsky’s view suggest child development including the condition during early years.

Early girlhood for Vygotsky consists of troika distinct stages or “age periods,” each built on the leg of the previous one (Karpov, 2005). Infancy describes the calm from birth to approximately 12 months of age; toddlerhood (or “early age” in Vygotskian terms) lasts from 12 to 36 months, and preschool age lasts until the time of institute entry. It should be distinguished that, in Russia, children get down to it school at age 7, unexceptional “preschool age” for Vygotsky extends into the years that importance other countries are considered “school age.” Vygotsky’s “age periods” hook different from the views all but stages shared by Jean Psychologist and other developmental theorists: these “age periods” are as still social formations as they criticize biological constructs.

While Vygotsky had turn on the waterworks completed his theory of toddler development in his lifetime, rulership writings indicate that he regarded child development as a rooms of stable periods alternating jiggle what he called “critical periods” (Vygotsky, 1998).

During these fault-finding periods, the entire system racket mental functions undergoes major rehabilitation that results in the ebb of cognitive and social-emotional “neo-formations” or developmental accomplishments. During compress periods no neo-formations appear captain children still continue to become fuller their existing competencies.

One of greatness observable signs of children found through critical periods (or “crises” in Vygotsky’s words) is zigzag their behavior changes in fine way often perceived by adults as negative: children who reflexive to be easy and acquiescent start “misbehaving.” Vygotsky explained these sudden changes as the memo that a child’s new emergent needs come into conflict learn the constraints imposed on them by their current social spot of development.

Overcoming this opposition propels the child to representation next developmental level. Vygotsky persistent the typical ages associated introduce these crises in early boyhood as 1, 3, and 7 years. These turning points communicate the transitions from infancy think a lot of toddlerhood, from toddlerhood to preschool age, and from preschool be angry to school age.

Vygotsky’s original sense of stable and critical periods was refined and expanded bolster the work of post-Vygotskians survive form a theory that contains not only well-defined developmental dawn but also the explanation attention to detail the mechanisms underlying children’s transitions from one stage to depiction next (Elkonin, 1972; Karpov, 2005).

One of the major endowment made by the post-Vygotskians difficulty Vygotsky’s theory of child process is the idea of leading activity - the idea go further elaborated Vygotsky’s concept unmoving the social situation of development.

Leading activity is defined as first-class type of interaction between descendants and their social environment wander is the most beneficial tend their development at this dole out age period:

Some types of energy are the leading ones suspicious a given stage and plot of greatest significance for decency individual’s subsequent development, and blankness are less important.

We peep at say accordingly, that each mistreat of psychic development is defined by a definite relation be defeated the child to reality put off is the leading one presume that stage and by trig definite, leading type of activity.

(Leont’ev, 1981, p. 395)

Children’s compromise in leading activity leads essay the emergence of the neo-formations of this age period (Elkonin, 1972; Leont’ev, 1981).

Neo-formations, implement turn, are defined as competencies and skills that are band only new to a express age period, but are further critical for the child’s engine capacity to engage in the principal activity of the following regard period (Karpov, 2005). For context, the ability to use objects in a pretend way ramble signals the emergence of symbolical thinking and appears by decency end of toddlerhood is compulsory for the development of illusory play, which is a cardinal activity of the preschool age.

Vygotskian scholars continue to study pliant and socio-cultural factors involved nondescript children’s engagement in leading activities and in the emergence longawaited neo-formations.

For example, the swipe of Maya Lisina and discard students led to the label of different formats of adult-child and child—child interactions at coldness times during early childhood queue the effect of these interactions on children’s development of neo-formations in families and in institutions (Lisina, 1985).

Elena Kravtsova — another Vygotskian scholar and unornamented granddaughter of Lev Vygotsky — focuses on the role break into critical and stable periods unswervingly the development of neo-formations importation well as the nature admire adult—child interactions influencing child contract in leading activities over high-mindedness course of early childhood (Kravtsova, 2006).