Comparative analysis of L.S. Vygotsky's and M.I. Lisina's approaches t
o child -- adult communication problem is presented. The most importan
t M.I. Lisina's achievements, rendering concrete L.S. Vygotsky's conce
pts, are micro-periodization of infancy, the study of communication in
fluence on cognitive and personal child's development, the analysis of
personal age-specific new formations. The discrepancies between activ
ity and cultural-historical approaches to communication are analyzed.