The concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) emphasizes the gap between what students can accomplish on their own and what they can achieve with guidance. Effective teaching practices involve staying within this zone, allowing students to grow with the help of a more experienced individual.
References
Kikibunny28 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUjauOIKuW4&feature=related
Bestofbilash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8uQLeF0jOE
Mindomo.com images on scaffolding and zone of proximal development
Vygotsky
Private Speech
Talking to oneself out loud,partially out loud, or silently in one's mind to help regulate ones own behavior or solve problems.
Pricate speech can be very benefitial if your are studying in a lourd place or a place with a lot of distractions. Mouthing some of the phrases or speaking out loud in order to try and master details often helps students.
Scaffolding
A more competent person helps a child master new skills by breaking the task or subskills into small units and guiding performance to a higher level.
Zone of Proximal Development
Zone of proximal development is the distance betwen what students can do independently and what they can do with the assistance of a competen other.