"Infant/Toddler Theory in Practice" by Derrick Toups - LSU Scholarly Repository
repository.lsu.edu
Five landmark theories of child development — from Piaget's stages to Vygotsky's social learning — are put to the test in real classrooms, revealing what actually shapes a toddler's mind.
Piagetian Stage TheoryZone of Proximal DevelopmentMaturationismResponsive Care Theory
Theory Briefing
- Toups examines five frameworks — Pikler, Gerber, Gesell, Piaget, and Vygotsky — to bridge the gap between theory and real classroom practice.
- Piaget's stage theory and Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development offer competing but complementary lenses on how toddlers learn and grow.
- The study argues that grounding early childhood education in these theories produces measurable developmental benefits for young children.