In play, the child is always behaving beyond his age, above his usual everyday behaviour; in play he is, as it were, a head above himself. Play contains in a concentrated form, as in the focus of a magnifying glass, all developmental tendencies; it is as if the child tries to jump above his usual level.
Lev S. VygotskyBy giving our students practice in talking with others, we give them frames for thinking on their own.
Lev S. VygotskyPsychology teaches us at every step that though two types of activity can have the same external manifestation, whether in origin or essence, their nature may differ most profoundly.
Lev S. VygotskyThe child begins to perceive the world not only through his [or her] eyes but also through his [or her] speech
Lev S. VygotskyThere is reason to believe that voluntary activity, more than highly developed intellect, distinguishes humans from the animals which stand closest to them.
Lev S. VygotskyEvery function in the child's cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological). This applies equally to voluntary attention, to logical memory, and to the formation of concepts. All the higher functions originate as actual relationships between individuals.
Lev S. Vygotsky