Wednesday Words
We will look at the words that define us.
Last week we looked at the “zone of proximal development” and I promised we would address scaffolding this week. Have you heard this term before? It is one I use quite a bit, especially when describe how to adjust lessons to meet the needs of all the children in my room.
Scaffolding refers to the assistance given to children to allow them to achieve more than they could independently. Scaffolding is what occurs within the ZPD to move the child forward.
Why call it scaffolding? If you think about it, it makes sense. A scaffold is something that helps you get into place to work. Scaffolding instruction helps children get into place to learn.
An example of this would be to ask a child leading questions while they are exploring materials. If you have given a child shape pieces and asked them to put the pieces together in a specific shape you can ask many questions about the shapes and draw attention to the shape’s attributes. You can also ask the child why they are placing a shape in a specific manner to engage them thinking about what they are thinking (meta-cognition).
You can also scaffold by providing new materials for the children. This will allow them to further their understanding of the world around them. Without exposure to various materials children will be unable to build their vocabulary and prior knowledge to build upon.
Teachers scaffold every day in formal and informal manners. Skillful teachers are intentional about scaffolding young learners and build time and experiences into their day to allow for scaffolding.
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