Sociocultural theory
In simpler terms, Vygotsky thought that it was by using private speech that a child's biological instincts were made into culturally acceptable ways of acting. He suggested that children spoke to themselves as a way of guiding themselves through an action. Vygotsky suggested that private speech changes as children age, beginning as external (out loud) speech when they are younger but then becoming more internal (within themselves) as they age. Through relationships with more capable people, children get information and use that understanding in their private speech. Vygotsky thought private speech showed how children use the support given to them by others to assist their own way of thinking and how they act.