Social Constructivism

Social Constructivism

1. Zone of Proximal Development

   • The ideal level of task difficulty needed to facilitate learning, in which a child can be successful with appropriate support.
   • Students need to be challenged to learn-- not completing work that it too simple or frustratingly difficult.
   • The ZPD is reason for differentiating instruction in the classroom. We must help each student to learn by meeting them at their ZPD.

2. Scaffolding

   • Assistance that adults and more competent peers provide during learning.
   • Buddy or partner reading: 4th graders paired with kindergarteners for reading time-- both love to show off their reading abilities!
   • A clue, word of encouragement, reminder, or breaking down the problem into steps are simple ways to support each learner.

3. Social Interactions

   • Students learn through their interactions with others within their cultural context.
   • Pairing students or putting them to work in collaborate groups helps them to learn from each other as they work together.
   • Using literature circles, students can build off of one another's ideas and gain a deeper understanding of the text and the reading process.