For Vygotsky, play serves as a tool of the mind. Vygotskian argue that play influences development in the three ways : play creates the child's ZPD, facilitates the separation of thought from actions and objects, and increases the development of self-...
For Vygotsky, play serves as a tool of the mind. Vygotskian argue that play influences development in the three ways : play creates the child's ZPD, facilitates the separation of thought from actions and objects, and increases the development of self-regulation. Specially, they claim that play is the leading activity of the early childhood. According to Vygotsky, play is a socially symbolic activity. This definition includes all forms of simulation(as if frame) and transformations.
In this article, I have discussed the idea of transformation as a key characteristics of play and the role of objects or people as pivots during play that aids mentally transform from actions to meaning. And finally, implications for early science education are discussed: consideration of the value of the play for science education, providing various representative and transformative activities, encouragement of social interaction with teacher and peer, use of sociocultural context to enhance children's learning, and recoginition of the self-regulation as a goal of science education.