Zone of proximal development

                  Zone of proximal development

We can think of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) as the difference between what a child can do independently and what he or she is capable of doing targeted assistance (scaffolding).

Student's learning can be visualized as their journey that can be aided by the support of peers, teachers, and family through the constantly evolving ZPD.

The concept of ZPD is critical to helping teachers target their strategies and ensure that all students are progressing. Each of us are different even in learning capability. ZPD refers to the area between the level of actual development and the level of potential development.It is also known as the instructional level, this is where instruction should be focused to drive the greatest learning gains for each children.  Zone of proximal development is meant to be applied to any kind of learning task .It is not concerned with the development of skills of any particular task, but it must be related to development.

It is important to realize that the zone of proximal development is a moving target. As a learner gains new skills and abilities, this zone moves progressively forward.