From Vygotsky, CA takes the concept of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): the difference between what a learner can do with and without help.
[3] Later development extended the range of lesson activities in primary science from the Foundation Stage through to year 5.
[4] Let's Think Forum (LT) produces CA packages for core subjects in primary and secondary education.
[5] CA acknowledges a set of subskills which underpin abstract thinking and shares with constructivism the view that concepts cannot be learned in the same way as facts and descriptions.
Early CASE lessons focus on: classification, scale, ratio, proportion, probability, variables, fair testing.
Setting the scene Concrete preparation serves a similar purpose to the "bridging" section and links the activity to current knowledge, explains the task and checks vocabulary.
Meta cognition During group-work and the plenary, the teacher asks questions that reveal the thinking process, meta-cognition, which has been shown to be effective in securing knowledge.
CA lessons conclude with a discussion about where ideas could be used in everyday life, the same concept as "scaffolding" in constructivism.