Twelve-year-old Nathaniel was facing trouble solving the word problems in his math homework.However,when his dad helped him by reading the problems aloud and emphasizing the important information,Nathaniel could solve all the problems correctly.This interaction illustrates:
A) Piaget's concept of conservation
B) Erikson's concept of industry versus inferiority
C) Piaget's concept of concrete operational thought
D) Vygotsky's concept of the zone of proximal development

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Nathaniel's dad's help in reading and emphasizing the important information in the word problems is an example of scaffolding, which is a key concept in Vygotsky's theory of the zone of proximal development. According to Vygotsky, scaffolding is when a more knowledgeable person helps a less knowledgeable person complete a task that the less knowledgeable person would be unable to complete alone. Nathaniel was able to solve the word problems correctly with his dad's help, which indicates that he was operating within his zone of proximal development.

Twelve-Year-Old Nathaniel Was Facing Trouble Solving the Word Problems in His