Vygotsky's Theory on Play

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, according to psychologist Lev Vygotsky's theory of leading actions, every function in the child's cultural development appears twice: First, on the social level and later, on the individual level; first, between people (inter-psychological) and then inside the child (intra-psychological) and the implications of play advancement. The author describes childhood play using this theory to understand the inherent developmental psychology and analyzes the play behavior through the stages of the child's life of infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children up to between ages eight and ten. The paper relates that, while failure along the way can inhibit future growth, adult facilitation by manipulating the child's inter-psychological environment can develop the child's intra-psychological basis.

From the Paper:

"The toddler stage grants additional mobility and a child more interested in physical activity to explore this newly-found environment. At this stage, children begin to engage in games that explore the methodology of object permanence (i.e. engaging in games of hide-and-seek or burying or otherwise hording toys). The child also continues to develop their shared attention and starts to become able to visualize a world outside of their own. Through this model, they begin to view themselves as members of a greater community and begin to develop skills to participate, especially in the areas of language. All of these developments build upon the important lessons gained in the infant stage and allow the toddler to more intimately understand and control their physical environment and other social being around them."

More papers on Vygotsky's Theory on Play:

• Research Paper # 105269 : "Children and Play"
• Comparison Essay # 115692 : "Piaget and Vygotsky on Cognitive Development"
• Analytical Essay # 142324 : "Nursing Theories: Rogers and Roy"

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