In my years
of teaching, I have found that the terminology used to described teaching methods is more
difficult that it needs to be. Jerome Bruner coined the term scaffolding.
That said, teachers use scaffolding in every lesson they teach. Scaffolding is the steps you
take to insure your students get it and starts with simpler skills, concepts, etc. and moves
toward the more difficult. The teacher may also make sure similar knowledge or skills are
isolated so that the student learns them without interference (such as /p/ and /b/ in a phonics
lesson).
Students are expected to acquire knowledge and become
self-regulated/independent learners. Some students, such as those with learning disabilities or
English Language Learners, need more individualized attention. Hence, the term
mediated scaffolding, i.e., instruction that is closely guided by the
teacher.
The amount, sequence and selection of information
enhance the probability that information will be learned.
In mediated scaffolding, as the learner makes progressknowledge,
skills, and abilities increasethe degree of scaffolding changes. The teacher may change the
design of the task to be completed or the amount of assistance offered.
The
University of Oregon Center for Teaching and Learning web page Big Ideas in Beginning Reading is
an excellent example of scaffolding in early reading. Each section gives examples of
mediated scaffolding. The Big Ideas web page can be found
Students in ELL or ESL are as diverse as the students in any other classroom. Mediated
scaffolding will follow the same principles for those students as students learning any other
content. This
you to a good example of scaffolding for ESL.
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