Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky have different views on how they believe development occurs. Piaget believed that cognitive development follows four stages including time frames in which milestones should be happening. He believed that children's intellectual skills change over time and that maturation, rather than training, brings about that change. Children of differing ages interpret the world differently (Lally & Valentine-French, 2019). Lev Vygotsky believed that a child develops due to their social and cultural surroundings. Vygotsky differed with Piaget in that he believed that a person not only has a set of abilities, but also a set of potential abilities that can be realized if given the proper guidance from others (Lally & Valentine-French, 2019).

Combining Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories would give a more valid account of real-life development because not just one theory captures the reality of development for everyone. Freud's theory is accurate for most people however the ages he sets for this development to occur are inaccurate for some to achieve. Vygotsky 's sociocultural theory stresses the importance of social and cultural exposure meaning children learn by listening and watching other people. Seeing as he doesn't have a timeline of the stages a child should be reaching specific parts of development, combining the two theories could be helpful. Looking at the development from both sides together would offer a better understanding of the development of a child. These theories determine how and at what time children learn. Putting these together we should let children develop using both theories together, not completely focusing on the four stages from Freud's theory and not completely focusing on social and cultural guidance from others. If we take a few parts from each and put them together understanding development may become a little more clear.

Vygostky's idea of "a child as an apprentice" comes from him believing that children learn through a social and cultural environment with others to develop cognitive abilities. Personally I teach dance and baton at my local dance studio. At the beginning of the year in baton in the youngest class many children have never even picked up a baton before or have had to stand and listen to someone they have never met tell them what to do. Many times these children who are between ages 4 and 6 haven't been in a room surrounded by other children their age they do not know. As the year goes on these children learn some cool tricks here and there but they also learn how to ask for help or how to make friends and communicate with each other. They learn these actions by watching other children who may be older or have some experience from last year. Lev Vygostky believed that a person not only has a set of abilities, but also a set of potential abilities that can be realized if given the proper guidance from others (Lally & Valentine-French, 2019). Social interactions can contribute a great amount so a Childs development.

Refrences

Lally, M. & Valentine-French, S. (2019). Lifespan Development - A Psychological Perspective (2nd ed.). OER. Retrieved fromhttp://dept.clcillinois.edu/psy/LifespanDevelopment.pdf

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