<P> Any function within the zone of proximal development matures within a particular internal context that includes not only the function's actual level but also how susceptible the child is to types of help, the sequence in which these types of help are offered, the flexibility or rigidity of previously formed stereotypes, how willing the child is to collaborate, along with other factors . This context can impact the diagnosis of a function's potential level of development . </P> <P> Vygotsky stated that we can't just look at what students are capable of doing on their own; we have to look at what they are capable of doing in a social setting . In many cases students are able to complete a task within a group before they are able to complete it on their own . He notes that the teacher's job is to move the child's mind forward step - by - step (after all, teachers can't teach complex chemical equations to first - graders). At the same time, teachers can't teach all children equally; they must determine which students are ready for which lessons . An example is the often - used accelerated reading program in schools . Students are assessed and given a reading level and a range . Books rated below their level are easy to read, while books above their level will challenge the student . Sometimes students are not even allowed to check out books from the school library that are outside of their range . Vygotsky argued that a major shortcoming of standardized tests is that they only measure what students are capable of on their own, not in a group setting where their minds are being pushed by other students . </P> <P> In the context of second language learning, the ZPD can be useful to many adult users . Prompted by this fact as well as the finding that adult peers need not necessarily be more capable in order to provide assistance in the ZPD, Vygotsky's definition has been adapted to better suit the adult L2 developmental context </P> <P> The concept of the ZPD is widely used to study children's mental development as it relates to education . The ZPD concept is seen as a scaffolding, a structure of "support points" for performing an action . This refers to the help or guidance received from an adult or more competent peer to permit the child to work within the ZPD . Although Vygotsky himself never mentioned the term, scaffolding was first developed by Jerome Bruner, David Wood, and Gail Ross, while applying Vygotsky's concept of ZPD to various educational contexts . According to Wass and Golding, giving students the hardest tasks they can do with scaffolding will lead to the greatest learning gains . </P>

Help or assistance especially in the time of difficulty