Tools of the Mind: Research on an Early Childhood …



Tools of the Mind:Research on an Early Childhood Educational ModelCarlyn KnightSonoma State UniversityBackgroundTools of the Mind is an educational model based on the theories of Lev Vygotsky, a 20th century Russian educational theorist. It was developed in the 1990’s by Elena Bodrova, PhD and Deborah J. Leong, PhD. The authors state that it began as a search “for tools to support the cognitive development of young children” (Bodrova & Leong, 2001, p.4). Just as physical tools empower us to do things beyond our normal ability, Tools of the Mind was created to empower the mental capacities of developing minds. However, the authors believe that these tools do more than enhance cognitive abilities. Based on Vygotsky’s theories they believe these tools can change how a child attends, remembers, and thinks. The tools, therefore, are to help children “learn how to learn.” (Bodrova & Leong, 2007, p.4) It sounds like a lofty goal, yet Tools of the Mind is the subject of one of the chapters in a recently published book Nurture Shock (Bronson and Merryman, 2009) and the authors report impressive results from three studies. Reflecting on the historical, political, and social context in which this model was developed reveals several noteworthy events. Although Vygotsky’s work was written before 1934, his work was suppressed in Stalin’s police state. It wasn’t until after the Cold War that Vygotsky’s work came to light and began to exert considerable influence in the field of educational psychology. Piaget and Vygotsky both espoused a constructivist view of cognitive development and the importance of play for the young child. However, Vygotsky introduced the idea of the zone of proximal development. Dr. Bodrova first worked at the Institute of Pre-School Education and the Centre for Educational Innovations in the Russian Federation. She came to the U.S. in 1992 and began collaborating with Dr. Leong. Tools of the Mind was first tested in 1997. By this time Vygotsky’s theories had grown in influence, research and understanding of brain development had reached a new summit, and there was dissatisfaction in student achievement. (It is interesting to note that “No Child Left Behind” was signed and put into law in 2001.) All of these factors contributed to the development and implementation of this new educational model. Theoretical UnderpinningsVygotsky’s perspective is articulated as Cultural-Historical Theory (Pass, 2005, p. 277). In this theory, Vygotsky asserts that social interaction is necessary for children to acquire the ways of thinking and behaving that make up a community’s culture. Cognitive development was viewed by Vygotsky, as a socially mediated process. He agreed with Piaget that children are active and constructive in their learning. However, Vygotsky differed from Piaget in that he saw children as dependent upon the assistance that adults and more-expert peers provide in learning (Berk, 2005). Vygotsky defines development as two different levels. Both levels are accessible to the child at any given time. The lower level is what the child can do independently, without help from anyone. The upper level of the child’s ability is what that same child can do with assistance from another person either directly or indirectly. The zone of proximal development (ZPD) is the distance between the lower and upper levels. It defines where the child’s learning happens. (Bodrova and Leong, 2006, p. 168)In Vygotsky’s opinion the two primary means of learning occur through social interaction and language. The assistance that a peer or a teacher offers is referred to as scaffolding. Scaffolding provides a metaphor or word picture of a house painter who uses a scaffold to reach parts of the house that would otherwise be out of reach. In the same way adults and peers can help a child ‘reach’ a new concept or skill by giving supporting information (Mooney, 2000).There are similarities and differences between Vygotsky’s theories and information processing theory. Topics like metacognition, self-regulation, and executive function have an important focus in their conversations, as do memory and focused attention. However, Vygotsky is interested in the developmental process and understanding why and how children improve in learning as they grow older. Furthermore, Vygotsky looks at the social and cultural context of learning, as well as the emotional aspects that are involved – which are not addressed by information processing theory. (Bodrova and Leong, 2007, pp. 33-34)Play, according to Vygotsky, is crucial to the mental development of the young child. Vytgotsky (1966) wrote:Play is the source of development and creates the zone of proximal development. Action in the imaginative sphere, in an imaginary situation, the creation of voluntary intentions and the formation of real-life plans and volitional motive – all appear in play and make it the highest level of preschool development. (p. 96)Vygotskyians contend that play, rather than providing limitless freedom, “presents the context in which children face more constraints than in any other context… (Yet) children are extremely motivated to abide by these limits” (Bodrova and Leong, 2001, pp. 15-16). The theoretical underpinnings that guide the approach of Tools of the Mind are: the Cultural-Historical perspective, socially-mediated constructive learning, the Zone of Proximal Development, scaffolding, and play. These are the means by which language and thinking develop best in young children. Bodrova and Leong apply Vygotsky’s theory to development and learning in early childhood: from infants through the primary grades. The focus is on relationships among peers and teachers, and activities that support cognitive development. In 2009, Bronson and Merryman observed several pre-K and kindergarten Tools of the Mind classes and they noted that although the main elements of the day are similar to a traditional class (with things like recess and lunch), there are some differences in the way the room appears.The wall calendar is not a month-by-month grid, but a straight line of days on a long ribbon of paper. Gone is the traditional alphabet display; instead, children use a sound map, which has a monkey next to Mm and a sun next to Ss. These are ordered not from A to Z but rather in clusters, with consonants on one map and vowels on another. (p. 161)Bodrova and Leong do not delineate specific environmental features that must be part of the physical environment, other than emphasizing the importance of creative dramatic play.The Role of the TeacherTools of the Mind is not a set curriculum, but rather a philosophical and theoretical approach to early childhood education. There are several examples of how individual teachers implemented these ideas and the authors also write of training teachers in this approach. However, there are not explicit materials that are used or even outlined schedules that are prescribed. Bodrova and Leong (2007) state that “Play is the leading activity and most of the teachers’ efforts should be directed toward play…” (p. 153). Their aim is for children to reach a level of mature play which is distinguished from immature play by these characteristics: The ability to pretend without actually having a prop, and/or using objects in different roles (symbolic representations)Language is used for dramatizationMultiple themes are interwoven, Roles are multifacetedAn extended time frame occurs These imaginative situations can extend over days, surviving interruption and restarting again, with changes occurring in response to the player’s new ideas and roles. (Bodrova and Leong, 2007, 2012) One example that was given was a dramatic play area set-up as an airport that lasted for several weeks:The literacy center is a ticket counter, with a travel agency complete with child-made passports, tickets, and travel brochures. In the block area the children have constructed a walk-through X-ray scanner from cardboard boxes. A smaller box with openings on both ends functions as the screening device for carry-on luggage. There is an airplane cockpit made out of a big piece of cardboard with child-drawn instruments, an upside-down egg carton for a keyboard, and a paper plate that functions as the steering wheel. (Leong and Bodrova, 2012, p. 28)To help scaffold this rich and mature play, the teachers have important roles. One prominent responsibility is to identify many different roles that pertain to specific play themes. In most preschools there is a dramatic play area and children enjoy dressing up and pretending they are firefighters, mommies and daddies, doctors, police officers, etc. However, play is often not sustained for a long period of time. Another familiar difficulty is to have the majority of the children wanting to enact the same role. For example if the dramatic play area is set up as a doctor’s office, most of the preschoolers may seek to be a doctor or nurse. Often their knowledge about who the doctors/nurses interact with, what they say in these situations, and what they do, is very limited. However, with a teacher’s help there are many other roles that the children can learn about (i.e. the patients and their many needs, the office staff, the adjoining hospital with x-ray technicians, lab workers, etc.). With this growth in knowledge and understanding, play is opened up to more roles and richer scenarios. Preparation for play can be done in a variety of ways. In all methods, the teacher’s emphasis is on what people do, as opposed to the objects that they use. Before a field trip, specific roles can be identified ahead of time and they can be explained and acted out during the trip. Books are another source of information about various roles in different occupations. Stories can also be used to help develop play; chapter books aid in developing sequential episodes. Classroom visitors are one more rich resource. (Bodrova and Leong, 2007, pp. 142-151) Another unique distinction of Tools of the Mind is the use of children’s “play plans.” The child plans the role he/she will play. The teacher helps the child to focus on what he/she will do in this role. The authors state that “it is the action of mentally planning that is the major benefit to the child” (Bodrova and Leong, 2001, p. 18). Yet they also share that they believe play plans on paper are more valuable than oral plans alone. I will highlight these advantages later in this paper.The role of the teacher is multi-faceted. To begin with, the teacher is one who plans and prepares the environment and the learning opportunities. Some of these experiences will be led and guided by a teacher; others will be for the children to engage and explore in independently. Another important role of the teacher is observing the child, understanding who he is, and learning what is within his ZPD. In this way diverse and individual needs are comprehended and met. Engaging in educational dialogue is another Vygoskyian role of the teacher. In interactions and discussions with students the teacher provides a “template for learning” (Bodrova and Leong, 2007, p. 85). This is done through the types of questions she asks, the strategies she uses to solve problems, and the way she models types of learning. An important goal is for children to grow in conceptual knowledge with an understanding of how things fit in a bigger picture of learning. In these ways teachers are both planners and participants in shared activities with children.Vygotsky stresses the importance of language and social interaction in cognitive development. He writes about the influence of culture in this process, through: families, schooling, and the community at large. Tools of the Mind reiterates these beliefs; yet the role of community and parents is not delineated with a specific role in the classroom. Field trips in the community and imaginative play with real-life scenarios are two ways that the cultures of community and family can intersect in the culture of school.Cognitive and Language DevelopmentSupporting and promoting cognitive and language development is foundational to the Tools of the Mind approach. This educational model was given its name because Vygotsky believed that it is when thinking and speech unify, “thinking acquires a verbal basis and speech becomes intellectual, because it is used in thinking” (Bodrova and Leong, 2007, p. 67). Language becomes a tool for private speech and verbal thinking - -which has a transforming effect on cognitive development. The authors state that it is sometime “between 2 and 3 years of age, (that) thinking and speech merge” (Bodrova and Leong, 2007, p. 67). Therefore, this early childhood educational model focuses on supporting both cognitive and language development through all of its activities.As stated earlier, Vygotsky believed learning is a socially-mediated process. The Zone of Proximal Development is seen as “a strategy for learning and development” (Bodrova and Leong, 2007, p. 40). In Tools of the Mind there are three specific tools or “tactics” which are covered with explicit attention to promote cognitive growth. In the beginning the tactics are introduced and supported with adult assistance, just as we would introduce and assist in the introduction and use of a physical tool like a hammer. Eventually the goal is for the child to use these tools independently.The first tactic is using mediators. Mediators can be both internal and external tools which aid and assist behaviors and mental processes. Examples of mediators that adults use in everyday life are: arrows or signs on a road, chants or mnemonic devices, and graphic organizers. For young children mediators need to be external and evident. Research by Leont’ev (1981, 1994 as cited by Bodrova and Leong, 2007, p. 53) revealed that in early childhood children are not able to create or use external mediators unassisted. However, they were able to accomplish this skill in the “context of meaningful activity shared with adults” (p. 55). Play plans were mentioned earlier as a distinctive part of Tools of the Mind. In 2007, Bodrova and Leong write about the importance of planning play and “encourage” the creation of written plans” (p. 151). In an earlier writing (2001) the authors state their preference much more strongly, saying “we found that planning on paper is much more effective than planning orally” (p. 19). They speak of these written plans as being an external mediator with cognitive and social benefits. Children think ahead of their scenario, work out possible conflicts ahead of time, and use the plans to refresh their memory and to regulate their own behavior. Play plans are attributed with increasing play to a rich and mature level. The plans provide a way for parents to share in their child’s day and act as a vehicle for home discussions. They also document increasing literary understanding and skills. Finally, they guarantee a moment of one-on-one time with teacher and child each day. Scaffolded writing can develop from written play plans. Some of the main elements of this teacher-assisted writing are: the child dictating his/her own words, the teacher drawing a line for each word of the child’s dictation (which acts as an external mediator), and the use of private speech during this exercise. This process will develop in various ways depending on the child’s knowledge of literacy. Teacher and child may repeat the sentence pointing to the lines for each word or eventually the child will draw the lines for each word uttered. As the words are written the special alphabet chart, which is called a “sound map”, can be used to help the child find the appropriate letter. Written play plans are just one example of an external mediator which aids children in developing self-regulation, deliberate memory, and focused attention. Other examples of mediators are: a carpet square to define body space at Circle Time, a visual schedule to aid a child with the routine of the day, a timer for turn-taking, and a song to signal transition times. The goal of mediation is to trigger or remind a behavior ahead of time and encourage self-regulation. This is in contrast to rewards or reinforcements that are given after a behavior has occurred, and are regulated by a teacher. The second tool or tactic used in Tools of the Mind is language itself. Although infants use speech for mainly public purposes, the function of speech changes as the child grows older. Private speech becomes a tool that the child uses to gain self-regulation as well as learn. (Bodrova and Leong, 2007, p. 66). “According to Vygotsky, (1987), private speech in young children is a precursor of verbal thinking since it serves as a carrier of thought at the time when most higher mental functions are not fully developed” (as cited by Bodrova and Leong, 2001, p. 14). Within the classroom, teachers can scaffold the development of private speech in the following ways: By modeling thinking aloud when solving a problem or demonstrating a process. By providing opportunities for children to see and hear their own thinking through speaking thoughts aloud (i.e. sharing with partners in Circle Time or whispering their thoughts when appropriate). Using external mediators that prompt private speech (i.e. a visual reminder of what to do at transition times). Teachers can also scaffold the growth of meaningful language by: Overtly naming/explaining activities of both children and teachersProvide context and visual cues for new vocabulary, ideas and conceptsCheck for understandingTeachers can support children’s emergent writing skills by providing literacy and drawing tools in many areas of school, allowing children to label construction work, enhance their dramatic play, or come up with other ideas. Children may also dictate stories to adults, or they may scribble and then “read” their own stories. The third and last formal tactic discussed in Tools of the Mind is using shared activities. In shared activities there is social context where learning can occur within the ZPD (with a more knowledgeable peer or teacher assisting a child who is less knowledgeable). Learning also occurs through the process of communicating and sharing with another person. This can happen through talking, writing, drawing, etc. whereby concepts that have been internalized in a “folded state” can be exposed. A “folded state” occurs when a concept is vaguely understood. However, in the process of communicating about a concept the gaps and shortcomings in understanding can be more easily recognized and clarified. Another person’s perspective must be taken and thinking is expanded. Another benefit of shared activity is the occurrence of other-regulation. Other-regulation occurs when one person regulates another person’s behavior or when that person is being regulated by someone else. Children need to learn to be both the regulator and the recipient of regulation. Interestingly, Vygotskyians believe that other-regulation comes before self-regulation and it can be used to aid in development. (Bodrova and Leong, 2007, p.81) Reflection is thought to be an important part of self-regulation; other-regulation is reflecting outwardly. Later these same assessments may be applied to oneself. Other-regulation can be capitalized upon by activities such as: children getting to find the mistakes in a teacher’s example, and using external mediators to help children focus on desired self-regulated and other-regulated behavior. A common thread that runs throughout the approach of Tools of the Mind, is the prominence it gives to cognitive skills, most notably these three: self-regulation, deliberate memory, and focused attention. (Bodrova and Leong, 2007, p. 207) Through the use of the ZPD and the tactics of: mediators, language, and shared activities -- cognitive and language development are supported. AnalysisThe program’s results seem to be equally effective with children who speak one language or those who are learning a second language. Tools of the Mind was first tested in 1997 with a population of ten kindergarten classes in Denver, Colorado. These classes had one-third to one-half of the population with limited English-language skills, and these children began school nearly a year behind. At the end of the year, those who were part of the Tools of the Mind program tested almost a year ahead of the national standards and were 97% proficient. Then in 2001 another research study began in New Jersey with 70% of the children from homes where English is not the primary language spoken. This study was supposed to last for two years; however, at the end of the first year the principal made the decision to implement Tools of the Mind in the control classrooms too. The decision was based on the children from “Tools” classrooms who demonstrated superior self-regulated behavior. The principal stated she felt that it was “unethical” to keep this program from all of the children. (Bronson and Merryman, 2009, pp. 162-164)In the first of four phases of implementing Tools of the Mind, the authors discovered that there were cultural differences that did not translate from Russian classrooms to American classrooms. Some of these differences had to do with: language systems, developmental differences and educational methods. Before phase two began, new techniques were created that incorporated the principles of Vygotsky yet met the needs of American children. In phase two “ progress (of the children) outweighed the effects of demographic – African-American and Latino students did as well as their Caucasian and Asian counterparts” (Bodrova and Leong, 2001, p. 27). Additionally, Tools of the Mind developed the ELA system with Dr. Dmitri Semenov. ELA stands for “Early Literacy Advisor,” and it is a computerized system that can aid teachers in diagnosing and prescribing individual educational needs. The ELA also addresses developmental patterns and teaches about concepts in the Vygotskian theory. (Bodrova and Leong, 2001, p. 4) Tools of the Mind coincides with many concepts and research-based ideas of supporting the cognitive and language development of young children. Bidirectional models of child development acknowledge that structure and function both impact development. Bjorklund (2012) writes that “cognitive development proceeds as a result of the dynamic and reciprocal transaction of internal and external factors” (p.8). The result is that “the architecture of the brain will change as a function of the information it receives” (p. 10). In Tools of the Mind the authors say that the developmental accomplishments for preschoolers and kindergartners will not be accomplished through maturation alone. Their belief is that young children need creative, imaginary, make-believe play to achieve thinking on an internal mental plane. This is the beginning of abstract thinking when one has the ability think and maneuver objects in the mind, as opposed to physically manipulating objects. Symbolic function begins in imaginative play when children are able to use actions, objects, language, or items to represent something else. When children are acting out roles there are outward actions, as well as the beginning of internal thoughts – which is a transition to the beginning of working on an internal plane. (Bodrova and Leong, 2007, pp. 124, 133)The importance of strategies is another concept that is backed up by research, and emphasized in Tools of the Mind. “Tools” provides external strategies using mediators and modeled private speech in shared activities that assists the child until he/she can internalize and use these strategies independently. Bjorklund confirms the findings of Leont’ev (1981, 1994) writing:…more explicitly training children to use an organizational strategy have yielded positive results. Young children, under certain instructional conditions, use an organizational strategy and display elevated levels of memory performance (Lange & Pierce, 1992; Schwenck et al., 2007). In other words, young children are capable of organizing information for recall, but they generally fail to do so spontaneously. (p. 274) In Bjorklund’s discussion of event memory he gives the analogy of children watching a baseball game compared to adults watching the same game. A child might focus on something insignificant without explicit instruction. Tools of the Mind makes use of strategies within the context of developmentally appropriate play to develop self-regulation, deliberate memory, and focused attention.Research by Nelson (1993, 1996) demonstrating that preschool children tend to organize events in terms of scripts further validates “Tools” approach. The emphasis on dramatic role-playing is supported by all that it contributes to memory organization. (as cited by Bjorklund, 2012, pp. 321-322)Finally, Tools of the Mind seeks to develop a “flexible cognitive set” advocated and sought out by many researchers. In studies done by Cheyne and Rubin (1983) and Smith and Dutton (1979) one group of children was allowed to play with objects and another group of children were given direct instructions on how to use these objects. Later both groups needed to use the objects as tools to retrieve a toy. The children who were allowed to play with the object were just as good, or better, than the children who were given precise directions. Peter Smith (1982, 2005) hypothesizes that since objects in sociodramatic play can be used for multiple purposes, this helps children to understand that objects can be used to solve problems in many ways. (as cited by Bjorklund, 2012, p. 240)ConclusionThe strengths of this educational model are numerous. It is backed up by research and new understanding of brain functioning and development. Developmentally appropriate activities are used and dynamic assessment is advocated to make known how the child is learning. Tools of the Mind is grounded in the educational theory of Vygotsky and is a complex and interwoven approach using:-882963193040The Strategy & Umbrella of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)The Strategy & Umbrella of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)29365626457952936562914400613696291440011716291440011716291440019338970ZPD Tactics Used:ZPD Tactics Used:22698121752600Language(private speech modeled & encouraged in public domain)Language(private speech modeled & encouraged in public domain)-4302171752600External Mediators(provide scaffolding through social mediation) External Mediators(provide scaffolding through social mediation) 47475821752600Shared Activities(provides social mediation & scaffolding)Shared Activities(provides social mediation & scaffolding)All of the above strategies/tactics are implemented with the goal of moving from an external and supportive presence to an internalized and independent skill.Another strength of this model is that these tactics benefit second language learners. The external mediators provide contextual cues, the private speech is modeled and encouraged, and shared activities provide community and immersion in the second language. One drawback is that sociodramatic play is a primary emphasis in this model, and research by Tabors (2008) revealed that this type of play can be difficult for children who are acquiring a second language (p. 121). However, with rich role development (which is advocated by Tools of the Mind ) these children might find “supporting roles” which allow them to observe actions and gain formulaic speech while still being part of the group – all which helps them to gain social and communicative competence. Tabors (2008) cites a similar approach in the Language Acquisition Preschool (LAP) at the University of Kansas (pp. 118-121). I have personally observed a young child whose speech is developmentally young spontaneously take on a “supporting role” that required little language. On several occasions she has acted the part of a dog that works with the firefighters. Her role has been a big part of the scenario, yet the language demands have been minimal. During this time, however, she is part of the social group and she is observing and learning from her peers as her language skills develop.Tools of the Mind is dependent upon the implementation of discerning teachers who maintain fidelity to the program. I believe this is both the strength and weakness of the program, yet it is consistent with the art of teaching and the worth of relationships. Human development, unlike a mathematical equation, cannot be programmed. Instead it takes nurturing, observation, and wise action. Self-regulation, deliberate memory and focused attention: these are three of the prominent cognitive skills that Tools of the Mind seeks to impart. As we continue to learn more about the development of language and thinking, it is imperative that we intentionally apply this understanding to what is best for young children. I believe that is the goal of this educational model.In closing, I leave you with a quote from Bjorklund (2012) regarding the link between tool use and play, which aptly and soundly applies to the goals of Tools of the Mind:Once children learn about tools…they seem to become part of their basic toolkit of problem-solving skills – and an essential component of human cognition. (p. 241)ReferencesBerk, Laura E. (2005). Infants, children and adolescents. U.S.A.: Pearson Education, Inc.Bjorklund, David F. (2012). Children’s thinking: cognitive development and individual differences. U.S.A.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.Bodrova, Elena & Leong, Deborah J. (2001). Tools of the mind: a case study of implementing the Vygotskian approach in American early childhood and primary classrooms. Switzerland: International Bureau of Education. Retrieved from ibe.publications/innodata/inno07.pdf Bodrova, Elena & Leong, Deborah J. (2006). Adult influences on play: the Vygotskian approach. In D. Fromberg & D. Bergen (Eds.), Play from birth to twelve and beyond: Contexts, perspectives and meanings (pp. 167-172). New York: Routledge.Bodrova, Elena & Leong, Deborah J. (2007). Tools of the mind: the Vygoskian approach to early childhood education. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.Bronson, Po & Merryman, Ashley. (2009). Nurtureshock: new thinking about children. New York, NY: Grand Central Publishing.Leong, Deborah J. & Bodrova, Deborah. (2012, January). Assessing and scaffolding make-believe play. Young Children, 67(1), 28-34. Mooney, Carol Garhart. (2000). Theories of childhood. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.Pass, Susan. (2007). When constructivists jean piaget and lev vygotsky were pedagogical collaborators: A viewpoint from a study of their communications. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 20, 277-282. doi: 10.1080/10720530701347944Tabors, Patton O. (2008). One child, two languages. Baltimore, Maryland: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company.Vygotsky, L.S. (1966). Play and its role in the mental development of the child. Voprosy psikhologii, 6, 76-99. ................
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