Scaffolding Reading
What is 'scaffolded reading'?
In order for us to understand how to scaffold reading in a classroom context, we first need to determine a definition for the term 'scaffolded reading.' It is believed that Donald Wood and his colleagues (Wood, Bruner & Ross, 1976) were the first to use the term in an educational context in order to characterise a mother's verbal interaction when reading with her child. Their study determined some of the steps that a mother, father, or other significant adult, may commonly take when initially beginning to read with a child. Firstly, they may skim through the picture book, familiarising the child with the pictures and the structure of a book. Then they may focus on a single page, asking the child what the picture is of, and pointing out the word in the text that describes this object. The adult does not tell the child what the word is, but acknowledges that it describes the object on the page and lets the child provide the answer. This is then often followed up by positive feedback that lets the child know that their answer was correct (Graves & Braaten, 1996).
The important part of this described learning experience is that the adult did not promptly expect the child to know what the word was, without any initial understanding of words and their connections to the pictures. Nor did the adult just give the student the word. The adult in the described process actually built up an "instructional structure" (Graves & Braaten, 1996), or scaffold, in order to assist the child to create meaning from the text for themselves. This process is the very definition of what 'scaffolded reading' is.
A child's initial experiences with learning to read are important for us, as teachers, to understand in order to be able to provide the next steps and continue to scaffold reading experiences in a more purposeful way. Axford, Harders and Wise (2009) describe a sequence of steps that teachers can use to implement 'scaffolding reading' in a one-to-one teaching situation.
In order for us to understand how to scaffold reading in a classroom context, we first need to determine a definition for the term 'scaffolded reading.' It is believed that Donald Wood and his colleagues (Wood, Bruner & Ross, 1976) were the first to use the term in an educational context in order to characterise a mother's verbal interaction when reading with her child. Their study determined some of the steps that a mother, father, or other significant adult, may commonly take when initially beginning to read with a child. Firstly, they may skim through the picture book, familiarising the child with the pictures and the structure of a book. Then they may focus on a single page, asking the child what the picture is of, and pointing out the word in the text that describes this object. The adult does not tell the child what the word is, but acknowledges that it describes the object on the page and lets the child provide the answer. This is then often followed up by positive feedback that lets the child know that their answer was correct (Graves & Braaten, 1996).
The important part of this described learning experience is that the adult did not promptly expect the child to know what the word was, without any initial understanding of words and their connections to the pictures. Nor did the adult just give the student the word. The adult in the described process actually built up an "instructional structure" (Graves & Braaten, 1996), or scaffold, in order to assist the child to create meaning from the text for themselves. This process is the very definition of what 'scaffolded reading' is.
A child's initial experiences with learning to read are important for us, as teachers, to understand in order to be able to provide the next steps and continue to scaffold reading experiences in a more purposeful way. Axford, Harders and Wise (2009) describe a sequence of steps that teachers can use to implement 'scaffolding reading' in a one-to-one teaching situation.
Step 1: Text Selection
Often in a Scaffolded Literacy classroom, the same text will be used as the resource for a number of language activities, including reading, writing and spelling. For this reason, the selected text must be interesting enough, as well as linguistically rich enough, to sustain this purpose. Also, when considering, Vygotsky's work, these texts should be challenging enough that they are beyond the students' existing level of competence, but not so much so that success in the text is beyond their level of reach.
Step 2: Text Orientation
Text orientation implies that the teacher should begin with an overview about what the text is about. They should not invite the students to speculate on a basis of the title and pictures, however, a common mistake that teachers make. This false speculation can be very misleading and confusing for weaker readers, and will often result in discussions that off task from the topic of the text.
Step 3: Aural Orientation
Immediately following text orientation, the teacher should read the text aloud to the students. This tunes them in to the sound of the words, the rhythm and the cadence of the text, as well as modelling good paced, fluent reading. It also enables the students to pick up on the author's syntactical structure.
Step 4: Language Orientation
The language orientation step focuses on only an extract of the text. For younger, or weaker readers, this can be only one or two sentences. For older, more competent readers, this can be one or two paragraphs. The students should have a very good understanding of the text before investigating it as closely as the language orientation. In this step, they should investigate and question the author's choices in this aspect, focusing on specific words that may be repeated or important.
Step 5: Fluent Reading
In this step the students should read the extract. They are given the control, and the teacher should sit back and not interrupt unnecessarily, but can provide prompts if the students seeks help, or where appropriate. A line 'guide could' also be used for support.
Often in a Scaffolded Literacy classroom, the same text will be used as the resource for a number of language activities, including reading, writing and spelling. For this reason, the selected text must be interesting enough, as well as linguistically rich enough, to sustain this purpose. Also, when considering, Vygotsky's work, these texts should be challenging enough that they are beyond the students' existing level of competence, but not so much so that success in the text is beyond their level of reach.
Step 2: Text Orientation
Text orientation implies that the teacher should begin with an overview about what the text is about. They should not invite the students to speculate on a basis of the title and pictures, however, a common mistake that teachers make. This false speculation can be very misleading and confusing for weaker readers, and will often result in discussions that off task from the topic of the text.
Step 3: Aural Orientation
Immediately following text orientation, the teacher should read the text aloud to the students. This tunes them in to the sound of the words, the rhythm and the cadence of the text, as well as modelling good paced, fluent reading. It also enables the students to pick up on the author's syntactical structure.
Step 4: Language Orientation
The language orientation step focuses on only an extract of the text. For younger, or weaker readers, this can be only one or two sentences. For older, more competent readers, this can be one or two paragraphs. The students should have a very good understanding of the text before investigating it as closely as the language orientation. In this step, they should investigate and question the author's choices in this aspect, focusing on specific words that may be repeated or important.
Step 5: Fluent Reading
In this step the students should read the extract. They are given the control, and the teacher should sit back and not interrupt unnecessarily, but can provide prompts if the students seeks help, or where appropriate. A line 'guide could' also be used for support.