ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to apply Vygotskian theory to early childhood education since the same social interactions and cultural-specific factors might play a different role depending on where a child is in his or her individual history of development and also depending on when and why these interactions and these factors appeared in the history of humankind. Early childhood for Vygotsky consists of three distinct stages or “age periods,” each built on the foundation of the previous one. The changes in the current culture of childhood seem to be happening across the globe and these changes call into question the status and the future of child play. Early Childhood educators focus on promoting the development of higher mental functions and on children’s acquisition of mental tools (linguistic and non-linguistic) and not on children’s mastery of discrete skills and concepts. Finally, the entire Vygotskian philosophy of early childhood education can be summarized by the concept of amplification of development..
