Thanks for posting that article. I liked this quote:
American psychologist Jerome Bruner (1982) describes the zone of proximal development as �the child�s ability to recognize the value of hinges and props even before he is conscious of their full significance."
The reason I prefer ZPD to readiness level is because there's an emphasis on "the communication that transpires in a social setting with more knowledgeable or proficient people (parents, teachers, peers, others) assists children in building an understanding of the concept." Readiness level just focuses on the ability level of the student and this can lead to situations where gifted students may just be expected to teach themselves. ZPD includes the relationship with the teacher/mentor/parent/etc.
The ZPD concept helps me make the most of the time I spend afterschooling. DDs can stretch a bit more with proper scaffolding. I also saw it when I helped at school today with a group of children working on a computer program called Study Island. Many of the concepts were beyond their abilities to tackle independently but I was there to provide scaffolding to help bridge the gap between what they could do independently and what they could do with some assistance.
