Identify the major themes in your reading. Vygotsky's work, within thought and language, displays highly inventive theory of intellectual development. The book, in my opinion, is a little quick to reach conclusions. But even then Vygotsky brings to his task his continuous observation of children learning to speak and learning to solve problems. Vygotsky's main theme is the relationship between thought and language, it is more profoundly a presentation of a highly original and thoughtful theory of intellectual development (Vygotsky, 1986). The book is, in many ways, more programmatic than systematic. Addresses how themes align with theoretical frameworks. Lev Vygotsky's Thought and Language has been recognized as a preliminary work of How does this reading influence your role as a teacher/researcher? Reading Vygotsky's Thought and Language influenced my thinking process about how students learn and develop language. I plan to include some of his theory in my further research on managing special education and ESOL students. I look forward to applying some of Vygotsky's theories of cognitive theory in my research to help define effective teaching strategies for dual-duty students within the classroom. What influence did your background experiences have on your worldview? During his lifetime Vygotsky's theories were controversial within the Soviet Union. In the 1930s Vygotsky's ideas were introduced to the West where they remained virtually unknown until the 1970s, when they became a central component of the development of new paradigms in developmental and educational psychology (Vygotsky, 1986). Although Vygotsky's theories were ignored, today they are widely known, although researchers do not always Vygotsky analyzes the relationship between words and consciousness, arguing that language is social in its origins and that only as children develop does it become internalized verbal thought ( Vygotsky, 1986). Based on my understanding of Vygotsky's views on words and consciousness, I believe it develops over time. The more a student is exposed to words and images, the more developed or thorough their verbal and nonverbal skills will be.