Five-year-old Jonah likes to play a scrabble-like game on the family computer. He plays against other family members, and usually does pretty well. When he gets a list of letter tiles that are too difficult for him to use, he asks his mother and father for help. The difference between letter tiles that Jonah can use and letter tiles with which he needs help typifies what Vygotsky called the zone of ____ development.
A) assisted
B) distal
C) proximal
D) located

Question

Five-year-old Jonah likes to play a scrabble-like game on the family computer. He plays against other family members, and usually does pretty well. When he gets a list of letter tiles that are too difficult for him to use, he asks his mother and father for help. The difference between letter tiles that Jonah can use and letter tiles with which he needs help typifies what Vygotsky called the zone of ____ development.
A) ​assisted
B) ​distal
C) ​proximal
D) ​located

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD) refers to the difference between what a child can do independently and what a child can do with assistance or guidance from a more skilled or knowledgeable individual. In this scenario, Jonah is able to successfully use some letter tiles on his own, but requires assistance for others, indicating that these more difficult tiles are within his ZPD. Choice A (assisted) and choice B (distal) do not accurately represent Vygotsky's concept of the ZPD. Choice D (located) is not relevant to the question.

Five-Year-Old Jonah Likes to Play a Scrabble-Like Game on the Family