Introduction

Bert van Oers

pp. 1-9

in: Bert van Oers (ed), Developmental education for young children, Berlin, Springer, 2012

Abstract

This book describes an approach for the education of 3–8 year-old children in primary school, which was developed in the Netherlands on the basis of Vygotskij's cultural-historical theory of human development. The purpose of the book is to clarify the views and concepts underlying this approach, to present illustrative practices, and to explain the strategies for the implementation of the approach in the lower grades of Dutch primary school classrooms (grades 1 through 4). Given the theoretical tenets of the approach and the strongly theory-driven applications and implementation strategies, it doesn't seem unreasonable to assume that most of the understandings described here may be applicable under appropriate circumstances beyond the borders of the Netherlands.