How Do Classroom Teachers Scaffold Grade Level Learning?

Cindy Riedl
Apr 26, 2010

Scaffolding instruction for at-risk and special education students requires that learning tasks and materials are modified and a variety of verbal and academic supports are provided to help these students meaningfully engage with the content as they acquire the necessary language and academic skills.

Successful scaffolding includes:

1. Providing continuity in the classroom. The grade level content and skills remain constant for all students, but tasks and materials are modified for those students who require additional support to access the lessons content expectations. 

2. Encouraging at-risk students to explore topics in a risk free learning environment and be provided with a variety of ways to meet learning goals and objectives.

3. Creating learning contexts where learners increase their autonomy as their skills and confidence increase. Continuity of tasks will facilitate learners in being able to take over portions of the task and become independent learners.

The goal is to create lessons that have learning activities that can be easily modified using scaffolding techniques that help teachers meet the needs of diverse learners while maintaining high standards and high expectations for all learners.

Making it work!

  • Build a collaborative learning environment, where students respect the differences in abilities, learning styles and performances of their peers. This culture must be developed. It does not happen by itself. A simple way to begin building a supportive learning community is to have all students complete learning styles and interest inventories. Information from these experiences will establish a platform for discussions about learning differences and how students can work together contributing to success for all. A real world connection to team building skills required to become a productive member of the business world needs to be made.

  • Identify the basic needs and abilities of the at-risk students in your classroom and anticipate the type of support they will require. Creating a learning profile early in the year for these students becomes a guide during lesson development when decisions are being made concerning what materials to use and where scaffolding needs to occur.

Example:

Student Needs Matrix

  • After determining the content and expectations of a unit or lesson, use the information on the above matrix to make decisions concerning what modifications will be required for students to successful. Ask the following questions:

1. What vocabulary needs to be previewed?
2. Does the vocabulary organizer need to be modified?
3. How will students organize information and will the note-taking device need to
be modified,i.e. partially filled in, page numbers, key words or ideas?
4. Does the text need to be chunked extensively or will it need to be replaced
with another resource that will provide the gist of the content?
5. How will students show what they learned throughout the lesson?
6. How will more proficient peers be selected for collaborative pair activities with
students who need additional assistance to read or write?
7. What scaffolds will you need during reading activities and writing responses?
8. How will you monitor to determine when a scaffold needs to be reduced?