Compare and Contrast - Cognitive Theorists PS240 WK3 Term Paper

Compare and Contrast - Cognitive Theorists PS240 WK3 - Term Paper Example rder to understand the meaning of the aforementioned statement, one needs to first understand what theory Piaget and Vygotsky presented to the experts in the past. It was Jean Piaget who first presented the idea that a child is not capable of learning any particular activity or understanding certain thoughts unless he is matured enough to do so. His theory advocates the belief that a child matures in â€Å"spurts† and is therefore not a smooth process for the child. Therefore, a child cannot be expected to the mentally mature enough to understand a school curriculum unless his mind is mature enough to grasp the concept and explanation pertaining to his lessons. Although this theory was once formerly accepted as a basis for scheduling a school curriculum, later observations and tests have proven the inaccuracy of this theory due to the continuously evolving and now almost lighting speed grasp of understanding and maturity seen in certain children, regardless of their age. It was Lev Vygotsky who advocated the theory that a child learns more through observation, while working on a Zone of Proximal Development. His theory is that a child is never too young to understand or undertake any task provided that the young individual is supervised and accompanied by an adult during the learning process. This is a theory that is more in line with the currently observed development of the mental and motor skills of various children in different stages of childhood development. Piaget and Vygotsky both presented strong arguments for their cases. However, upon further reading and research, and based upon my own observations as well, I find that Vygotskys theory of child cognitive development is the one which is much closer to the truth in terms of child development. Although a child may have uneven maturity as Piaget pointed out, Vygostkys theory proved that the maturity or growing up process of a child can best be assisted and encouraged by the guiding hand of a caring adult