Have you heard about the tools of the mind approach based on Lev Vygotsky’s theory?
Listen up – you may like it !!!
Tools of the Mind” is a curriculum developed by Elena Bodrova and Deborah J. Leong. When I studied at Monash University, we watched videos created by the researchers and analysed ZPD and scaffolding with relevant examples.
I think that’s why I have a strong understanding of sociocultural theory.
The tools of the mind approach focuses on promoting self-regulation and cognitive development in early childhood through play and intentional teaching.
Here are some key features:
Vygotskian Principles: The curriculum is heavily influenced by Vygotsky’s ideas, particularly the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and the role of social interactions in learning. As Bodrovq quotes Vygotsky, in play child is always ahead of his current abilities.
Play-Based Learning: It places a strong emphasis on play as a vehicle for learning. Play activities are carefully designed to support children’s cognitive and social-emotional development. For example, imaginative play of superheroes is encouraged, so as home corner play etc.
Scaffolding: Teachers play a crucial role in providing “scaffolding” to support children in their ZPD. This involves tailoring support to the individual needs of each child, helping them move toward more complex tasks. As an early childhood professional, I support that!
Cultural and Symbolic Tools: The curriculum incorporates cultural and symbolic tools, such as literacy and numeracy activities, to enhance children’s understanding of their environment and promote cognitive growth. I will talk more about cultural tools in my next post.
Integrated Curriculum: Tools of the Mind integrates various subjects into the curriculum, recognising the interconnectedness of different domains of development. Holistic learning in other words.
Focus on Executive Functions: The program places a specific emphasis on developing executive functions like working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility, which are crucial for learning and life success. In the video I am attaching, Deborah Leong is talking a lot about Executive Function in depth.
What do you think about the Tools of mind approach?
Barbara Rogoff is a prominent American developmental psychologist known for her research in the field of cultural psychology and child development. She was born on 22nd November 1940. Rogoff has made significant contributions to our understanding of how culture and context shape cognitive and social development in children. Her work emphasises the importance of considering cultural factors when studying human development and learning.
One of her most well-known concepts is “guided participation,” which suggests that children learn from their participation in culturally relevant activities and interactions with more experienced individuals, such as parents or caregivers. Rogoff’s research has also explored topics like how children learn through observation and participation in everyday activities, the role of apprenticeship in learning, and cultural variations in child-rearing practices.
Barbara Rogoff has received numerous awards and honours throughout her career, and her work has had a significant impact on the field of developmental psychology and education. She has written extensively on these topics, and her books and research papers have been influential in shaping our understanding of how culture influences human development.
What are three planes?
According to Barbara Rogoff, there are three planes of analysis (you can call them lenses) that we can use in our observations of children.
Individual Plane: This plane focuses on the individual’s cognitive and psychological processes. It involves examining how an individual’s thoughts, emotions, and cognitive abilities contribute to their learning and development. This is the internal perspective of the learner.
Interpersonal Plane: The interpersonal plane looks at the social interactions and relationships that play a crucial role in a person’s development. It emphasises the importance of interactions with parents, caregivers, peers, and other members of the community in shaping one’s understanding of the world and cultural practices.
Community or Cultural Plane: This plane considers the broader cultural context in which an individual is situated. It examines how cultural norms, values, practices, and traditions influence the way individuals learn and develop. It acknowledges that culture plays a significant role in shaping cognitive and social development.
Let’s explore the concept of the three planes of analysis in the context of early childhood education and care with examples:
Individual Plane:
Example: In a preschool classroom, a child named Emma is working on Australian animal puzzle. Emma’s cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills come into play as she tries to fit the puzzle pieces together. Her individual plane of analysis involves her thinking processes, her ability to focus, and her emotional response to the task. The educator may observe how Emma approaches the puzzle and tailor her guidance to support Emma’s individual learning style and cognitive development. We may recognise Emma’s personal development milestones and interests.
Interpersonal Plane:
Example: In the same preschool, another child, Liam, is engaged in a cooperative play activity with his peers. They are building a tower with blocks together. They call it “Zoo for animals”. The interpersonal plane of analysis comes into play as Liam interacts with his peers. He learns not only from the materials but also from his interactions with others. He may negotiate, share, and problem-solve with his peers, which contributes to his social development and ability to work collaboratively.
Community or Cultural Plane:
Example: The preschool aims to create a culturally inclusive environment. The cultural plane of analysis recognises the cultural diversity of the children and their families. For example, Manisha is from India and her family celebrates Divali. The curriculum includes stories, songs, and activities that reflect various cultural backgrounds, including Manisha’s family traditions and preferences. This approach acknowledges that children come from diverse cultural backgrounds, and their early childhood experiences are influenced by their cultural context. It helps foster an inclusive and culturally sensitive learning environment.
How to use the three lenses/planes of analysis.
Snaky snake!
Who: Sarisha, Jessica, Emily
When: date, time
Sarisha, Jessica and Emily went outside together. They started running around the preschool yard. They looked under the tables, benches, A-frames, trampoline, veggie patches.
They were looking at the holes in the ground and in the puddle. They have been observing the yard for a few minutes.
While running they communicated with each other verbally and non-verbally.
Emily shouted “Snake, snake”. Sarisha and Jessica joined in “Snake, snake”.
Emily said, “Snaky snake!” I was curious and asked the girls what they were doing. “Looking for the snaky snake” – replied Jessica. She took my hand and pulled me towards the bushes.
“Let’s go together! We must find the snaky snake!” exclaimed Sarisha, her voice filled with excitement. Emily and Jessica eagerly agreed, and the trio entered the cubby house, peering into a saucepan in hopes of finding their mysterious snake.
Disappointment struck when Emily cried out, “There is no snaky snake in here!” Sarisha replied optimistically, “Not here, but we’ll find it.” Jessica chimed in, suggesting they check near the water puddle. Their adventure continued as they made their way to the puddle, with Jessica changing, “Snaky, snake” in anticipation of a thrilling encounter.
Concerned about the potential danger of the snake, you asked if it was hazardous. “No,” reassured Emily, “it’s a funny snake; it’s actually a lizard.” They spotted Bailey and a group of boys approaching. Fearing that the boys might disrupt their quest, Jessica and Emily playfully yelled, “shoo-shoo” and “sssssss,” pretending to ward off any interference from the boys. The girls then giggled and ran away, determined to continue their search for the fascinating “snaky snake.”
Personal
Interpersonal
Institutional
Snakes, lizards, hunt; treasure hunt —these topics seem to be of interest of this focus group of children. They Initiated this. play and seemed to enjoy. running, chasing and exploring space. Imaginative play Children know about snakes’ holes – some habitat knowledge. Children already played Easter Eggs Hunt the week earlier. They were able to transfer knowledge of the process of looking for hidden treasures to the snaky snake play.
Emily, Sarisha and Jessica have been playing together most of the time. They interacted a lot and seemed to enjoy their playful interactions. Jessica seems to lead the rest of the group.
Liberty Av preschool has a large backyard so children can run around and explore the space safely. The environment includes natural logs and trees, bushes, secluded spaces and places (cubby house), holes and a huge puddle. Water play is part of everyday curriculum. There is always a water table outside with play provocations. Considered a part of curriculum, there is always water table outside.
What do you think about this way to analyse observations?
Barbara Rogoff is a renowned developmental psychologist who has contributed significantly to the field of early childhood education. Her research has focused on understanding how children learn and develop in cultural contexts. Rogoff emphasizes the importance of children learning through active engagement in their daily life activities, and she has developed a theoretical framework called “Cultural Historical Activity Theory” to support this approach.
Her work highlights the need for educators to recognize and value the diversity of children’s backgrounds and experiences in order to create effective learning environments.
You can watch Barbara Rogoff Ted Talk here
Here are my 10 favourite quotes 🤱🏼about child development and early learning.
Quote
Explanation
“Children are active learners who create their own understanding of the world, drawing on their own experiences and the knowledge and skills they develop through social interaction with others.”
Emphasises the importance of children’s active role in constructing knowledge (constructivism, like Vygotsky and Bruner)
“Cultural practices shape how people think and learn, and thus influence development and education.“
Highlights the role of cultural context in shaping cognitive development and learning (like Vygotsky).
“We need to stop thinking of children as passive recipients of knowledge and instead recognize their active role in constructing knowledge.”
Calls for a shift in perspective from a passive to an active view of children’s learning (like Bruner, Vygotsky, Bronfenbrenner).
“Learning is a social process, and social interaction is critical to children’s cognitive development.”
Stresses the importance of social interaction in children’s cognitive development (like Bruner and Vygotsky).
“Children’s learning is most effective when it is integrated with the everyday activities and routines of their lives.”
It is important to integrate learning with everyday activities and routines.
“The ability to adapt to new situations and think flexibly is crucial for success in today’s rapidly changing world.”
Highlights the importance of adaptability and flexibility in today’s world.
“Learning is not just about acquiring knowledge and skills, but also about developing a sense of agency and responsibility for one’s own learning.”
Emphasises the importance of developing agency and responsibility in learning.
“We need to move beyond a narrow focus on individual achievement and recognize the importance of collective learning and collaboration.”
Calls for a shift in focus from individual to collective learning and collaboration.
“Cultural diversity is an asset that can enrich education and promote understanding and respect for different perspectives.”
Emphasises the value of cultural diversity in education.
“Education should aim to promote not just academic success, but also social and emotional development, creativity, and a sense of purpose and meaning in life.”
Broadens the goals of education beyond academic achievement to include social and emotional development, creativity, and meaning in life.
This is one of the most interesting emerging theories that I have learned about over the past three years.
The basic idea is that everything is connected and everything is alive (has agency). I love that!
The foundational mother of the theory is Karen Barad, an American feminist scholar and a physicist (of course!). Barad coined the terms ‘agential realism’ and ‘intra-action’, which are somewhat mind bending, but certainly new. It challenges separation of humanity from the rest of the world and gives us hope for recovery and better future. It is an optimistic theory, where humans are humble. Guess what? I like that too!
Agential realism is a theory proposed by Karen Barad, in which the universe comprises phenomena which are “the ontological inseparability of intra-acting agencies”. Intra-action, a neologism introduced by Barad, signals an important challenge to individualist metaphysics.
In the next few posts I will share some of my thoughts on this theory and how it applied to working and being with very young children. Meanwhile, have a look at the main concepts of posthumanism.
Multi-agency: This concept recognizes the agency and subjectivity of all participants in the learning process, including children, teachers, and the environment.
Materiality: This concept highlights the importance of the material and physical aspects of the learning environment and their impact on children’s learning and development.
Embodied learning: This concept emphasizes the role of the body and physical movement in learning and highlights the importance of embodied experiences in early childhood education.
Eco-justice: This concept recognizes the importance of considering environmental issues and promoting sustainability in early childhood education.
Have you heard of posthumanism before? How do you think it applies to us, as educators?
