One take away was the importance of play in learning. Vygotsky hypothesizes that "human learning presupposes a specific social nature and a process by which children grow into the intellectual life of those around them," (p 88). Most people do not equate play with learning, however, when children play they are creating a reality. Vygotsky believes that what a child does in an imaginary situation affects the meaning of the situation. In very young children there is a fusion between what the child sees and interpretation as to what is meant during an activity. However, play provides a transitional stage which allows the child to detach from meaning or representation to what is real. Vygotsky gives the example of a stick or versus a real horse. There is a pivotal moment which allows the child to detach meaning from the stick horse to a real horse, (pg. 98).
Eventually the child playing learns to detach visual objects and actions and he/she accepts the word "horse" and begins to play with meaning. In everyday situations what the child does (action) dominates meaning. But when a child is using his/her imagination during play, this requires abstract thinking and is a crucial part of development. In a child younger than three years, there isn't a separation between reality and imagination, The child adheres to rules that govern the scenario. When a child is school age, play fulfills a role in his/her academic development and becomes reality. When school age children play there is a new relationship between meaning and visual field. These developmental phases can be attributed to the stages of play which are:
1) Play is a way to gratify his/her own desires by creating fantasy situations.
2) Play allows a child to separate actions from objects.
3) Play allows the child to practice self-regulation and other skills in the real world.
Vygotsky sees development at two levels. The first level is what the child can do independently. The second level is what the child can do with assistance. The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is the distance between the "actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaborating with more capable peers," (p. 86).The gap between what the child does independently and with assistance (direct or indirect) closes as the skill is learned. In imaginary play Vygotsky sees the child as functioning at the higher level of ZPD. For example, in one of our readings the child is using the support of the teacher to create a story board about a Disney character. The activity is scaffolded as the child learns to transfer imagination to a written story that would not have been possible without teacher support.
