Free Lev Vygotsky’s Theory Of Cognitive Development Essay Example

Lev Vygotsky developed a theory that focuses on the social interactions of people within a society and how this interaction influences the cognitive development of member of the society. His theory is also called as cultural-historical theory as he claimed that culture plays a significant role in the development of human mental functions, especially in the development of reasoning and speech in children.
Vygotsky claimed that adults systematically and intentionally foster the cognitive development of children by engaging them in certain activities that are challenging and meaningful for the children. He stated that the way children respond and behave is conveyed to them by adults who form their culture. This assumption is also based on the statement that language and thought become significantly interdependent for children during their early years. Another assumption of Vygotsky’s theory is that social activities initiate the complex mental process in children that helps them transform ideas they have adopted from social environment and adults.
Vygotsky also came up with an assumption that children can perform complicated tasks when they are being assisted by adults, and such complicated and challenging tasks have a positive influence on the cognitive growth of children, and the range of challenging tasks gradually increases. The psychologist claimed that the more challenging the tasks are, the better cognitive growth the children have.
This whole theory is based on the assumption that speech is a specific tool used by the children for socializing and communicating, and in later years, speech becomes a means for the thinking process. Thus, we can see that Vygotsky’s theory is based on the sociocultural perspective as it promotes culture and interaction within the society as two factors that promote cognitive development of children.