Henri Wallon and Lev Vygotsky

In the study of the cognitive development of the child, the comparison between the analyzes of Wallon and Vygotsky has not focused on the period of the first three years. At the time when Vygotsky quotes Wallon, both mainly rely on the observation-based method and have a common theoretical approach: the baby seen as a social being; development by stages and crises. Examining the six volumes of Vygotsky's Selected Works, published in Russian, then in English, thus having all of the references to Wallon, we advocate that Henri Wallon could have influenced Lev Vygotsky's representation on the exteroceptive performances that are acquired during the first months, on the premises of bodily consciousness and on the emergence of language. We also compare their respective contributions to the emotional development, the triadic interaction and to the 3-year-old crisis.