Discussion of Theoretical Underpinnings
Lev Vygotsky’s (1979 ) theory of education is suited specifically to the type of work done in this study. Vygotsky (1979) believed that careful observation of children by a teacher is as valid as looking at test scores. He also believed that children “develop language skills and grasp new concepts” (Mooney, 2000, p. 83) as they listen and speak to each other and are shaped by their interactions with family, their culture, the community, and other aspects of their world. Interactions with classmates help students learn and construct knowledge. The Zone of Proximal Development or ZPD is at the center of this theory and is explained as “the distance between the most difficult task a child can do alone, and the most difficult task a child can do with help” (Mooney, 2000, p. 83). This means that when a child is at the learning crest of a new concept, interaction with a teacher or classmate can facilitate the learning. The term scaffolding is used by Vygotsky (1979), which refers to the aid a teacher or classmate can provide in supporting a student in acquiring and understanding a skill or concept.
This research project provided many opportunities for students to offer input into the concepts presented during the lessons in vocabulary and writing. By having discourse about words and word meanings, both orally and through their journals, students learned new concepts and skills. By participating in class discussions, with the promoted use of Tier 2 words (Hutton, 2008), opportunities were optimized for students to learn from each other. Encouraging children to work together and learn from each other while carefully observing what is happening in the classroom are ways to apply Vygotsky’s (1979) theories of learning. By using mentor texts, opportunities to discuss unfamiliar words became part of the lesson as the teacher thought aloud during the read-aloud. This provided a vehicle to discuss the concepts behind the words and to deconstruct the word to find meaning, thus, modeling the skill of word analysis.
When looking at students’ writing, teachers and students can analyze their own writing as well as others using the 6 + 1 Traits model (Culham, 2006). This is also a shared learning experience, as students can look at writing samples, and using the language of the 6 Traits model (Culham, 2006) determine the strengths and weaknesses of the piece. Providing students with a common language with which to discuss writing is in keeping with Vygotsky’s (1986) theories regarding interactive and social learning and scaffolding. It is important to note that in Piaget’s (1928) theory of development, a nine-year old in the Concrete Operations stage is able to think abstractly, notice differences between classes of things, and can hold several characteristics of those objects in mind. This would indicate that word sorting and classification of words in vocabulary instruction would be appropriate at this age. Piaget’s developmental stages are not age or grade specific. According to Piaget, children develop, not by age- or grade-specific criteria, but progress individually, mentally, emotionally, morally, and physically, bringing unique strengths and weaknesses to the event of learning as they grow and mature. Learner differences include how a student associates, experiences, learns, perceives, experiences, and memorizes aspects of the learning event. Through assessment, we can properly identify a student’s readiness and maturity to move on to the next stage “A child’s interaction with his environment are what creates learning” (Mooney, 2000, p. 61). Children, according to Piaget, attach meaning to people, places, and things, and construct knowledge based on those meaningful experiences (Mooney, 2000).
John Dewey’s (1897) theory of education calls for teachers to observe their classroom and the interests and experiences of the children and to plan curriculum accordingly. Using knowledge of students, teachers can then help them make sense of their world. If children are taught in a way that helps them make connections with the world and each other, they will be more engaged and motivated by the meaningful language experiences of the lessons. The pivotal center of the interactions with each student in this study is the disposition that an educator is warm, inviting, interested in, and excited about the subject matter, with the utmost concern for the social and emotional welfare of each child. This learning environment adheres to the theories of education that consider the whole child, socially, emotionally, mentally, and physically. As a result, students are more willing to participate and try new vocabulary in a trusted and safe arena.
