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Scaffolding

This document discusses scaffolding, a concept developed by Lev Vygotsky referring to temporary support provided to learners that allows them to perform tasks they cannot yet perform independently. Scaffolding involves breaking tasks down into manageable steps, providing guidance and modeling, and gradually removing supports as skills develop. The document lists 12 effective ways to scaffold learning in the classroom, such as pre-teaching vocabulary, activating prior knowledge, using visual aids and think-alouds, incorporating guided practice and checks for understanding, and coaching peer-to-peer learning. When implemented strategically, scaffolding techniques can help students progress toward new skills and increased autonomy.

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Victor Fawzy
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25 views

Scaffolding

This document discusses scaffolding, a concept developed by Lev Vygotsky referring to temporary support provided to learners that allows them to perform tasks they cannot yet perform independently. Scaffolding involves breaking tasks down into manageable steps, providing guidance and modeling, and gradually removing supports as skills develop. The document lists 12 effective ways to scaffold learning in the classroom, such as pre-teaching vocabulary, activating prior knowledge, using visual aids and think-alouds, incorporating guided practice and checks for understanding, and coaching peer-to-peer learning. When implemented strategically, scaffolding techniques can help students progress toward new skills and increased autonomy.

Uploaded by

Victor Fawzy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Scaffolding

Lev Vygotsky
What is scaffolding?

Scaffolding—in its more usual


sense—is a temporary structure that is put
up in the process of constructing
or repairing a building. As each bit of the
new building is finished, the scaffolding
is taken down. It is temporary but essential.
What is scaffolding?
“What a child can do with support today, she or he can do alone tomorrow” .

-Bruner (1978) describes scaffolding in the metaphorical sense as “the steps


taken to reduce the degrees of freedom in carrying out some tasks so that the
child can concentrate on the difficult skill she or he is in the process of acquiring”

-Scaffolding is thus the temporary assistance by which a teacher helps a learner


know how to do something so that the learner will later be able to complete a similar
task alone.
-It is future oriented and aimed at increasing a learner’s autonomy.
As Vygotsky has said,
The zone of proximal development

The educational basis for a child’s development is

encapsulated in what Vygotsky terms the zone of

proximal development, by which he refers to the

distance or the cognitive gap between what a child

can do unaided and what the child can do jointly and

in coordination with a more skilled expert.


Scaffolding
promotes a positive
temporary but increases learners’ learning environment
because students feel
essential readiness supported

assists learners in oriented and aimed at


breaks down learning into moving toward new
increasing students’
sections skills
autonomy
Scaffolding

improves comprehension
builds students’
and problem-solving
confidence

leads to higher
engagement, which
motivates students to
learn more on their own
Preparing for Scaffolding

Add an Agenda
Page
Add an Agenda
Page
12 Effective Ways to
Scaffold Learning in
the Classroom
1. Pre-
teach
vocabu
lary.
Pre-teaching vocabulary can have a real impact on students’
comprehension when they then read a text.
This can be done in many ways.
-Provide images of difficult words or concepts
-Have students explore words by learning definitions, synonyms, and antonyms
-Get them to repeat new words, use them in sentences, and draw a representation
of them.
-Use realia by bringing real items
that represent a word.
2. Give students
time to talk.

• Have them articulate concepts in their own words to one another. Use think-pair-
share, turn-and-talk, or triad teams structures. Come back together as a whole
group and share any insights that might be helpful to everyone.
3. Chunk tasks into small
components and provide
step-by-step guidance.

Sometimes it’s hard for students to remember all the steps they have to
follow for an assignment. Scaffold learning by breaking down directions
into chunks that students can complete one step at a time. Give them a
checklist that they can follow. By breaking it down, you’re providing
scaffolds that students need. They can then follow this guidance when
they attempt the task independently.
4. Activate prior
knowledge.

Scaffolding is all about gradually building on learning, so making links to what


students already know is an important aspect of the process. Making explicit
connections to what has come before will help them to bridge the gap between
what they know now and what you need them to know.
Show students the big picture. Make connections to concepts and skills
students have already learned. Connect to experiences they have had, such
as field trips or other projects.
5. Use explicit
instruction.

One of the best practices in supporting learners is the use of systematic,


explicit instruction. That is, instruction that includes clear modeling or
think-aloud. In addition, immediate corrective feedback is critical.
Catching students’ errors while they’re still practicing will prevent them from
learning the skill incorrectly and then continuing to practice it incorrectly for
homework and on other assignments.
6. Use
think-
mode aloud
l or de s to
mons
trate.

Show your students an example of what they will be learning.


Verbalize your thought process as you demonstrate. Use a think-
aloud strategy to give your students a model for an inner dialogue
they can copy.
7. Give students
time to practice.

After you model learning for your students, take some time to
practice with them. Have a few students come up to the board and
write a paragraph together. Think of this guided practice as a
series of rehearsals before the final performance.
8. Incorporate
visual aids.

Graphic organizers, pictures, and charts can all serve as scaffolding tools.
Graphic organizers are very specific in that they help students represent
their ideas visually, organize information, and grasp concepts such as
sequencing and cause and effect.
9. Du
ri n g l e
fo r u n ssons
dersta , chec
n ding k
.

Check in often to make sure students are with you. A simple thumbs-up, a sticky
note check-in, or a desktop flip chart are a few of the ways you can check for
understanding. See who’s good to go, who’s almost there, and who needs some
one-on-one.
10. Try
s e n te n
starter ce
s.

Sometimes a head start helps students gather their thoughts. Provide


students with the first part of a statement and ask them to fill in the
blanks. Sentence starters can be an especially great support for English-
language learners.
11. Ask open-ended
questions.

Asking questions allows students to organize


their thoughts and elaborate on their
processes. The key is making sure you ask
meaningful questions. questions should direct
students to important aspects of the task they
are working on.
12-Coach
students to help
each other.

When learning a new concept or reading a difficult passage together, call

on a strong student to answer a question. Then, call on another student to

repeat, in his or her own words, what was just said. By listening and

repeating, you reinforce your students’ understanding.


Thank
you!

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