so busy

The egghead has been so busy. Weekends in the country, trips to the lake, laundry. The laundry never ends. Never ever ever.

anyhoo, let's talk about proximal learning.

Proximal learning is the idea that someone who knows a little bit more than you can teach you something better than someone who knows a lot more than you do. Or it may be that kids pick stuff up from all sorts of sources and learn thru some sort of freaky osmosis. Ok Ok I'll look it up.

(imagine a pause here, a long one because Stephen Colbert is doing something with a breast pump so I need to hit rewind on Tivo)

Oh my was I off base. So proximal learning means that learning is not linear. Here's a quote.

Vygotsky introduced the social aspect of learning into constructivism. He defined the "zone of proximal learning," according to which students solve problems beyond their actual developmental level (but within their level of potential development) under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers. It means challenge them but in a reasonable way. I think. Note to self, look stuff up before i start the post. Not during. I know I caould go back and edit and no one would be the wiser but that seems like cheating.

My whole point for bringing this up was that Amelia's friend is reading very well and was helping Amelia to read a book this weekend. Now Amelia wants reading lessons everyday and is working through some Dr. Seuss books. Des wants to read more because Amelia is. I guess this doesn't have anything to do with proximal learning after all. Or does it? Is there a bigger egghead out there who can explain this to me? What proximal learning is, not the monkey see,monkey do approach to children learning how to read.