ABSTRACT
The focus of this chapter is the use of external mediators as one of the tactics teachers can use to scaffold young children’s learning and development. First, readers are reminded of the concept of mental tools defined earlier in the book and it is explained how an external mediator serves as a mental tool and how children, as they grow, learn to use external mediators to take control over their cognitive and social-emotional behaviors. The chapter then discusses specific examples of external mediators children use to transform cognitive functions, such as perception, attention, memory, and thinking, into deliberate and intentional processes. The rest of the chapter contains practical suggestions on how to use external mediators to scaffold children in an early childhood classroom, including guidelines for using mediators as well as ways to dispel common misunderstandings associated with the concept of a mediator.
