The Importance of ZPD

In just about every education class you will probably hear something about the ZPD.  Whether it is a methods class, a psychology class, or anything else, you have probably heard about it. But why is it so important that it is incorporated into so many classes? After reading Chapter 3 in "Catching Readers Before They Fall" I finally realized why this idea of teaching in the child's ZPD is so important.
 But how do teachers incorporate the use of ZPD in the classroom? I really liked the ideas that "Catching Readers" gave. One example of this was asking children individual questions based on their ZPD. I think this is an extremely good idea. As I was reading I was actually wondering how it was possible to be in each and every children's ZPD all of the time. This is nearly impossible, but asking questions specifically tailored to them is something that teachers should really incorporate into their lessons.  Not every lesson is going to be the same for every student. Some student might think it is too hard, some it might be just right in their ZPD, and some it might be into their ZAD, This idea of modifying questions may be one step toward getting everyone to learn within their ZPD.
I will continue to look for ways to work in every child's ZPD. With little ideas like the question asking idea, teaching can be a lot more successful.