Ideally, then, structure should be moderate rather than extreme. There should be just enough to give students
some sense of direction and to stimulate more accomplishment than if they worked with less structure or guidance.
This ideal is essentially Vygotsky’s idea of the zone of proximal development that we discussed in Chapter 2: a place
(figuratively speaking) where students get more done with help than without it. The ideal amount of guidance—and
the “location” of the zone of proximal development—may vary with the assignment and with the student, and it may
(hopefully) decrease over time for all students. One student may need more guidance to do his or her best in math,
but less guidance in order to write his best essay. Another student may need the reverse. Both students may need
less at the end of the year than at the beginning.