According to Vygotsky's theory of development, what is a 3-year-old demonstrating when she verbalizes each step of washing her hands?

The demonstration of verbalizing each step of washing her hands aligns with Vygotsky's concept of private speech. In this theory, private speech refers to the process where children talk to themselves as a strategy for guiding their own actions and thoughts. By vocalizing the steps involved in handwashing, the child is manifesting her understanding of the process and using language as a tool for cognitive development. This self-directed speech reflects an internalization of knowledge that has often been learned through social interactions, yet it showcases the child's ability to convert shared knowledge into her personal cognitive framework. This aligns seamlessly with Vygotsky's view that language is critical in the process of intellectual development and that children use language as a foundation for forming their own understanding of the world around them.