By Grace Clark, Lauren Murphy and Maggie Goeppinger
What Really Is Scaffolding?
Scaffolding is a method of instruction that is based upon a gradual release of responsibility from the teacher to the students using the “I do, We do, You do” framework. Based on “High Leverage Practices for Inclusive Classrooms,” there are four principles of scaffolding, which include dynamic assessment, knowledge of curriculum, motivation purpose and engagement and varying levels of support. Through building rapport and examining the students’ zone of proximal development, a teacher can productively scaffold or “back off” during instruction in order for the student to gain independence and skill in their work. Zone of proximal development is defined by Vygostky in McLeskey et al. (2019) as, “tasks that are between what a child can understand and do independently and what s/he can do most effective.” Scaffolding is not a process that is limited to specific academia, but rather this practice can be used in all academic lessons, behavior, language, motivation, attention, communication and social skills (McLeskey, J., Maheady, L., Billingsley, B., Brownell, M., & Lewis, T. p. 208). Below we have included several different ways to provide scaffolding supports for our learners.
Dynamic Assessment
When an educator wants to begin utilizing scaffolding in a lesson, the first step in order to be successful is through dynamic assessment. Dynamic assessment is the act of the teacher taking time to learn what the student can and cannot do with various levels of support. Without this prior knowledge, a teacher could greatly affect the students learning by giving them too much support or too little.
Knowledge of Curriculum
The teacher also needs to have a strong knowledge of the student’s curriculum and goals. Through investigation of the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals and objectives in alignment with state curriculum standards, teachers can form a strong knowledge of what their student needs to work toward. For example, if a student is working towards the state standard K.CC.3 “Writing Numbers 0-20,” the student would first have to have the baseline knowledge of how to hold a pencil, write the numbers and recognize the numbers before writing numbers 0-20 can be mastered. This area would be considered their zone of proximal development because they may be able to do some with support and some without. Without having a firm knowledge of what the student is working towards doing independently, the teacher will be teaching without purpose. For example, a teacher could be giving a math lesson and only be focusing on the correct answers when the students goal could be following directions and holding a pencil. This knowledge is crucial when beginning any academic, behavior, or language lesson using scaffolding.
Motivation Purpose and Engagement
Building rapport with your student not only is beneficial for the classroom environment, but also positively influences their learning. Having a firm knowledge of students motivations and ways to enhance engagement allows teachers to explore different options of which they can scaffold students lessons and hopefully increase independence if the student is highly motivated. Once all of this pre-work has been done within the classroom and with the student, the lesson can begin.
Varying Levels of Support
Scaffolding can be planned and unplanned, so we suggest having an idea of both before the lesson begins. Unplanned scaffolding is when the teacher steps in during their independent or group work to provide support when the student gets off track. The teacher will then step back out in order to let the student continue their independent working. The teacher should also plan when and how they will scaffold to follow the “gradual release of support” modeling shown below. There are three forms of scaffolding in teaching which include sensory, interactive, and graphics. Below in the chart, there are the three ways of scaffolding and what can be included in it.
| Sensory | Interactive | Graphic |
| Video Manipulatives Demonstrations Modeling | Group/pairs Discussions Stations in classroom In-person Computer | Charts Tables Graphic organizers Cause / Relationship |
In “Providing Support for Student Independence through Scaffolded Instruction,” the section Teaching Exceptional Children, the author M. Larkin says that in order for children with disabilities to grow into successful adults they need “a supportive environment enables them to capitalize on their strengths and minimize or cope effectively with their weaknesses.” Physically, the environment in the classroom should promote learning for all students and give them opportunity to learn within the classroom, without explicit instruction. This aspect also goes into lesson planning through scaffolding instruction in order to “capitalize their strengths” by providing support when necessary but allowing exploration of independence when seen available.
Below we have included some key questions to keep in mind when preparing a lesson that utilizes scaffolding:
- What is the students zone of proximal development?
2. At what point will I back off or scaffold in order to increase independence in the skill?
3. What are my planned and unplanned scaffolds?
4. In what environment would this best take place?
5. Is the goal clearly stated to the student?
Below is a gradual release model following the sequence “I do, You do, We do.” This should be referenced when lesson planning in order to effectively scaffold support to increase student independence.
Do
Below are examples of how scaffolding can be incorporated into the classroom. The first one is a lesson plan-like format that takes you step by step into how you would use scaffolding to teach greater than and less than. While the next one gives you some great ideas of how you may teach the alphabet using visuals and sign language through scaffolding.
- Teaching Greater Than and Less Than (Google document)
- Alphabet Visuals Resource (Google document slideshow)
- Alphabet Sign Language Resource (Google document slideshow)
References
Huynh, Tan. “34. Three Types of Scaffolding: There’s a Scaffold for That: ELL Strategies.” Empowering ELLs, Publisher Name Empowering ELLsPublisher Logo, 6 Dec. 2019, www.empoweringells.com/scaffolding-instruction/.
Larkin, M. J. (2001). Providing Support for Student Independence through Scaffolded Instruction. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 34(1), 30–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/004005990103400104
van de Pol, J., Volman, M., Oort, F. et al. The effects of scaffolding in the classroom: support contingency and student independent working time in relation to student achievement, task effort and appreciation of support. Instr Sci 43, 615–641 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-015-9351-z
McLeskey, J., Maheady, L., Billingsley, B., Brownell, M., & Lewis, T. (2019). High-leverage practices for inclusive classrooms. New York, NY: Routledge.
