ABSTRACT
The chapter zooms in on another tactic for scaffolding: the use of language. The chapter first unpacks one of the key principles of the Vygotskian framework introduced in Chapter 1 about language playing a central role in children’s mental development. The next section of the chapter focuses on oral language and describes Vygotsky’s views on the developmental path of speech. It is in this context that the concept of private speech is discussed, along with the role private speech plays in the development of children’s self-regulation. The following section touches on the aspects of the development of semantics that are most important for an early childhood educator, such as the discrepancy between the meanings assigned to the same word when this word is used by adults or by young children. The development of written speech is the subject of the next section, with the idea of writing interpreted from the Vygotskian perspective to include children’s drawing and scribbling. The final section of the chapter offers guidance for teachers on how they can scaffold the use of language by their students, including Dual Language Learners, to make sure it becomes an effective tool of the mind.
