96' 6, page 92

Wells G.
Making meaning with text: A genetic approach to the mediating role of writing in activity
(resume)

In offering a Vygotskian perspective on writing the author considers relationship between writing and speech. There are three interrelated themes in L. S. Vygotsky's theory of learning and development that are of continuing relevance for education: 1) the role of tools, both material and symbolic, in the mediation of human activity; 2) the social provenance of individual intellectual abilities; 3) the necessity of adopting a "genetic" approach in attempting to understand development - whether of individual, or of the social activities in which he or she engages. As must be expected, given its centrality in education, these three themes are also critical for an understanding of the development of writing and each would merit detailed consideration. It is the genetic approach that the author takes as major theme.

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