Lev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist, born November 17, 1896, who had a wide range of interests that included the cognitive and linguistic development of children. Vygotsky's theories are somewhat incomplete due to his death at the young age of 38 from tuberculosis. Vygotsky faced many difficulties in life that he was able to overcome, such as being a young Jewish boy growing up in a time when the Russian district limited the number of Jews who were allowed to receive a university-level education. (Tools of the Mind pg. 5) Fortunately, he was one of the few who was awarded this educational opportunity and established himself as an exceptional student. As stated in The Tools of the Mind, “Vygotsky taught literature at a secondary school and then continued to lecture at a specialized institute.” Vygotsky then began his theoretical research known as the Vygotskian approach. The Vygotskian framework is composed of four basic principles summarized in Tools of the Mind (p. 8),1. Children construct knowledge.Vygotsky believed that children construct their own knowledge based on their present and past social interactions and emphasizes the importance of understanding what these influences are or were to better understand what Childs' concept is.2. Development cannot be separated from its social context. Although attitudes and beliefs influence learning, social context influences it more because social context not only influences learning but also shapes the student's cognitive processes. The social context must be evaluated at the immediate level, at the structural level (including family and school) and at the general cultural or social level as a whole.3. Learning can lead to development. Vygotsky believed that… middle of the paper… effort and willingness to challenge oneself, just like a cheerleader or cheering section. This encourages the child to stay engaged and continue to strive. Keep the child in the ZPD, which as we have already learned is the area where a child is learning what they can do with help and then constantly adapt the amount of interventions made by the instructor. This allows the child to see what they can learn to do on their own with help. Promoting self-regulation occurs by allowing the child to regulate the amount of joint activity. This means that the teacher or adult needs to be aware of when to step back and allow the child to work independently, but be available when they see that the child is really stuck and needs help. Effective scaffolding promotes a positive learning experience for children and encourages their desire to continue learning and challenging themselves.