What does it mean to scaffold literacy?
- A scaffold is much more than support. As educators, we must use support and scaffolding as well as other teaching strategies to allow students to participate in real and meaningful literacy tasks. The curriculum itself can be a scaffold because teachers and learners are able to play out their respective roles.
- Scaffolding literacy involves getting children involved in joint reading, writing, spelling and language development with the assistance of another adult or peer (Gregory, O’Neill, & Soderman, 2004). Teachers and students work together through modelled shared and guided strategies to complete a common goal or concept. Students are stretched to understand the new information being taught while the teacher assists students along the way until they are able to complete individual tasks.
- Scaffolding and Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development are closely related because students will be working towards and beyond their current capacities (Axford, Harders, & Wise, 2009). It is also connected because during scaffolded literacy lessons students are only working outside their ZPD if an educator or adult is assisting them.
A High challenge and low or inadequate levels of support
In this type of classroom, students will experience frustrations, insecurity and anxiety because the teacher is presenting students with demands that are far beyond their capabilities, with providing support. This will likely result in failure A High level of support and little challenge In this type of classroom, learners will operate within their comfort zone and are likely to enjoy their classroom experience. As for long term goals, they are unlikely to learn a lot because not enough challenges are occurring. Low levels of challenges and low levels of support In this type of classroom, there may be higher levels of misbehaviour. This could have resulted because students are feeling unmotivated and bored. Challenging tasks and high levels of support In this type of classroom, the most effective learning is likely to take place. This is because in this type of learning environment students will be working beyond their current capacities. |