L. S. Vygotsky's book "Mind in Society" was published more than 50 years ago in Russia, but it is now being recognized as relevant to contemporary research in child development because of the areas of investigation that he suggested. Vygotsky views children as active participants in their own learning and suggests that researchers analyze processes, reveal causes, reconstruct points of development, and study responses to teaching. He sees the developmental process as lagging behind the learning process; therefore, it should be the concern of research to show how external information becomes internalized. Vygotsky also examines the link between play and socialization. For him, imagination is play without action, but in play the rules are determined by the child's ideas, not by the object. He also finds connections between play and language development. While developing speech, children free themselves from immediate environmental constraints. They can plan, order, and control themselves and others. Speech organizes and unifies disparate aspects of behavior, such as perception, memory, and problem solving. "Writing," which follows next, "must be relevant to life," insists Vygotsky. By helping children "write" through making marks and pictures in kindergarten, allowing them gradually to develop skill and also maintain enthusiasm because they find their writing efforts relevant, educators could improve literacy substantially. (NKA)