The Power and Promise of Constructivist Learning in Early Childhood Classrooms

Are you looking to better support the youngest learners in your schools? Do you find more and more students requiring support with self-regulation and executive functioning skills in your programs?

If so, look at the ideas of Lev Vygotsky and Jerome Bruner to provide valuable insights into how children learn and grow. Vygotsky believed that social interactions are paramount to children's cognitive development. He believed that children learn best when they are given activities that are just a bit challenging, but still within their reach. This Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is where the magic happens. Vygotsky suggested that adults can help children learn by providing guidance and support, or "scaffolding," to help them reach their potential.

Bruner also recognized the importance of social interactions and language in shaping children's understanding of the world. He believed that by actively engaging with their environment, children construct their own knowledge. Check out this video with Jerome Bruner on How Does Teaching Influence Learning-

He also believed that language plays a critical role in this process; by communicating and sharing ideas, children can expand their understanding of the world and build a solid foundation for future learning.

Both Vygotsky and Bruner stressed the importance of providing children with challenges that push them beyond their current abilities, while also providing the support they need to succeed. Teachers and parents can help children learn and grow by offering activities that are engaging and challenging, but not overwhelming. Encouraging children to communicate and share their ideas with others, while providing the guidance and support they need to succeed is a recipe for success.

The ideas of Vygotsky and Bruner provide valuable insights into how children learn and develop. By incorporating their principles into your interactions with the children in your care, you can help them reach their full potential and prepare them for a bright future.

This April a group of trailblazers in the field of early childhood education from New Jersey, Florida, and Texas will travel to Trento, Italy to embark on a journey of exploration of constructivism in Trento, Italy. The FederazioneScuoleMaterne prides itself as an inclusive, active learning environment focused on addressing Gardner's Multiple Intelligences.

Elevate Educators LLC is excited to bring a group of US educators for a hands-on, constructivist immersion in the early childhood classrooms of the Federazione Scuole Materne di Trento, Italy.

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Follow our journey April 15-21 on Twitter @elevateeducators and Instagram @creative_constructivism. #ElevateeducatorsPLN and #creative_constructivism.