Final answer:
Vygotsky's theory suggests adults should assist children with tasks slightly beyond their capability, to aid in learning new skills and cognitive development.
Step-by-step explanation:
Vygotsky's theory about the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) suggests that adults should help babies in whatever ways they need to succeed in a new, slightly harder task than they have tried before. This concept is based on the principle that children learn best when they receive guidance on tasks that are just beyond their current level of competence. Vygotsky's work emphasized the importance of social interactions and the role of culture in cognitive development, asserting that learning is a social process. In the context of early childhood development, this means adults should scaffold the child's learning by supporting the child's development of new skills so that they can gradually become more independent in their learning.
This approach contrasts with leaving a child to repeat the same activities or expecting them to meet developmental guidelines without the appropriate level of adult support and interaction.