Instructional Scaffolding

What is a scaffold?

What does a scaffold do?

What are some characteristics of scaffolding?

Scaffolding

What are words that come to your mind when you view images of scaffolding?

• Temporary• Support• Access• Build, Construct, Add

“A temporary structure constructed around a building to allow workers to have access in order to facilitate additional construction.”

Scaffolding: Key Ideas

A scaffold is always temporary. The scaffold allows access in order to build something new or additional onto what is already there.

Instructional Scaffolding

• A special type of help that assists learners move towards new concepts, skills, or understandings

• Future-oriented• What a learner can do with support now, she

can do alone tomorrow (Vygotsky, 1987)

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

ZPD

A metaphor that signifies the ‘space’ between a learner’s developmental level in independent problem-solving and the higher level of potential development that can be achieved through collaboration (or problem-solving) with an adult or more skilled or capable peer.

How is scaffolding different from help?

• Bridge-building among….students – task – curriculum and school

• Enables learning for students’ own purposes and in new contexts

Scaffolding is oriented towards showing students how to do (or think, or say), rather than what to do, think, say. They can then use the learning for their own purposes and goals.

Possible missteps?

• Scaffolds that go too far or not enough

• Lowered expectations instead of making challenging content accessible

Summarize?

1. Scaffolds are not selected at random, but specific to the needs of the learners. Content and ideas are still challenging, but made accessible.

2. They are temporary and gradually taken away; goal is independent action, thinking, talking for the learner

Scaffolding

Special ways that we support a learner’s attempt to use language. We help them do what they cannot yet do without our help. After some practice and when they can do what they want to do (or say) on their own, the scaffolding is removed, and a higher goal is set.

Multiple Learning Goals for English Learners in K-12 Contexts

1. English language proficiency

2. Knowledge of curricular (academic) topics

3. Use familiar ‘everyday’ language for social purposes and academic registers expected in school

How? Scaffolding Structures

“Pedagogy is a combination of constraining with structure and releasing with process….and also involves innovation, exploration and improvisation” the latter aspects are ones that rely on our imagination and abilities and can’t be easily summarized here.” (van Lier, 2006)

Scaffolding Structures

• Routines• Contextualization• Modeling• Bridging and schema-building• Multiplicities – multiple entry points

(García, 2009)

RoutinesFor linguistic help…..• “How do you say _____?”• “I don’t understand. What

does it mean?”• “Can you repeat that?”

For content help……• I don’t know what

observation means.• Please explain thermometer.

For classroom interaction…

“Work with your partner.”

“May I be excused?”

Contextualization

• Body language and gestures• Visuals – photos, graphs, drawings• Realia

Teach key vocabulary – Word WallsGraphic organizers – semantic mapping, story

mapsBilingual books

Modeling

• Think alouds• Questions for elaboration – ‘tell me more’

Bridging and schema-building

• Activate background knowledge• Previewing• Summarizing

Multiple entry points

• The teacher creates multiple entry points for learners of different language abilities

• Allows the learners to express their strengths and gifts…..music, role-playing, drawing, writing, listening

Thinking Back

1. What are some key ideas about instructional scaffolds?

2. Think about the ways to scaffold mentioned here. Decide on one that might be helpful to use with your tutees.

Thinking Back “A scaffold is a temporary structure that is constructed to

help someone complete a task that would otherwise be too difficult to do alone. We use scaffolds frequently in real life. We see scaffolds that are assembled to facilitate construction of a building or making it possible to wash a window that is very high up. But, when the job is completed, the scaffolds are dismantled because they are temporary.”

Another important idea for ELs in schools is that scaffolds are incredibly important to provide access to grade-level texts and complex concepts. The release of verbal, procedural or instructional scaffolds is gradual until learner independence is reached.

(Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2014, p. 123)