1. Explain your understanding of Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development.

• Vygotsky’s theory to the socio-cultural emphasizes the importance of social interaction and language development. To fully understand a child’s needs and development a child’s social environment influence needs to be consideration. Therefore, Vygotsky’s socio-cultural view of cognitive development emphasizes the interaction between individuals and their environments. Vygotsky believed that social environments influences cognition through tools which adults use to teach children. With cultural development and thinking mastered and transmitted through symbols and tools such as language, counting and writing and that it is an integral part of self-regulative abilities. Vygotsky also emphasizes the role of adults and able peers in a child’s learning, motivating the importance of utilizing collaborative between learners peers and teacher in the classroom

2. Summaries the most important aspects of the learning theories of Erikson, Piaget and Vygotsky for your teaching practice as foundation phase teacher.

• Erikson's theory aspects that are the most important are that the age, milestones and challenges that children will face are outlined to make it easier to understand.  If we are aware of these different stages then we can be prepared for it and help solve the problem with informed understanding.
• Piaget outlined four main stages of cognitive development with an approximate age period of childhood.  These are sensorimotor intelligence, preoperational thinking, concrete operational thinking, and formal operational thinking.
• Vygotsky outlined three main concepts of cognitive development namely that culture is important for learning to take place, culture lays rooted in language development, and people learn by the role that they play in their community.

3. Reflect on your newly gained knowledge of learning theories and holistic development and create a mind map in which you outline the most important aspects of holistic development in the foundation phase

• STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
• COGNITIVE DEVOPLMENT
• MATHEMATICAL GROWTH
• HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT
• EMOTIONAL DVELOPMENT
• SENSORY DEVELOPMENT
• SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
• LANGUAGE  GROWTH
• THE ABILITY TO CONNECTT

4. Why is it important to have basic knowledge about the musical development of foundation phase learners?

• As a foundation phase teacher it is very important be aware of the music elements and music developments to be able to use them to their full capacity. Knowing the many benefits children gain from music it will be sad to not be able to give the students a successful chance at acquiring the basic knowledge of music.

5. Create suggestions for music activities which will support the various developmental areas of foundation phase learners 

• Use music to improve the environment of the classroom whether the music is just playing in the background softly or playing joyous music to liven up the mood.
• Use songs to help learners learn and memorize concepts such as language, math, life skills or important information.
• Use song and dance to improve self-confidence and team work.

6. Write a short critique about the implications of knowledge about learning theories such as those of Erikson, Piaget and Vygotsky with regards to the way in which this knowledge informs your teaching approach as well as the way you approach activity planning.

• Vygotsky believed that it would be of no use to teach a learner a skill that he cannot use, or give him a task he cannot complete. Also teaching learners stuff they already know and giving them instruction on how to do task they can already do is also of no use. His theory bases on that teachers and learners relationship should be done as guidance and that teachers should increase the difficulty of test as learners go through their learning progress.
• Looking at Piaget’s theory from another view point I agree to disagree with his theory as I believe learners cannot be classified and be put into groups. Every leaner is unique, each and every one of them develops one their own way at their own pace and time. Meaning a learner’s intelligence cannot be compared to their peers.  
• Erikson helps teachers to ensure strong lasting relationships are built between teachers and learners in the learning environment, and ultimately, build emotionally strong children for the future, I personally agree with his statement “A child who is confident in himself in a confident in every aspect of living”.