Scaffolding

Teacher scaffolding speaks to the temporary supports teachers provide for students as they work toward independence.

Scaffolding can:

  • range from light to heavy as teachers provide more or less support,
  • be present at particular moments within an assignment,
  • be ongoing, existing at each stage of the task for all students or only for those who need it, and
  • appear in different forms in assignments (e.g., text annotation, graphic organizers, discussion).

Guiding Questions

  • When and how do I use scaffolding in my assignments?
  • When is scaffolding important for my students?
  • When and how do I limit or remove scaffolding in my assignments?

Questions for Analysis

Considerations

Which statement best describes the amount of teacher supports and/or scaffolds in this assignment?


Check all that apply:

  1. No scaffolding in this assignment

  2. Minimal/moderate scaffolding in this assignment (e.g., scaffolding appears in one section of the assignment, scaffolding appears in less than half of the assignment)

  3. Heavy scaffolding in this assignment (e.g., scaffolding is ongoing in the assignment, scaffolding is present in more than half of the assignment)


  • Look closely at the scaffolding (e.g., sentence starters, graphic organizers, annotation codes or guides, checklists, detailed steps/procedures laid out, teacher-student conferences) in the assignment.

  • Consider how much support students are given.
Which statement(s) best describe the type of scaffolding?

  1. No scaffolding in this assignment.

  2. This assignment itself is a scaffold (e.g., students complete a graphic organizer, students take notes or annotate a text).

  3. This assignment is broken down into small bits/chunks (e.g., students work on very small tasks, such as a single sentence or a small grammar skill).

  4. The heavy cognitive work has already been given to students in this assignment (e.g., the theme or “big idea” has been provided by the teacher, all the steps have been laid out for students).


  • Look closely at the scaffolding (e.g., sentence starters, graphic organizers, annotation codes or guides, checklists, detailed steps/procedures laid out, teacher-student conferences) in this assignment.

  • Consider the type(s) of support students are given.