The best scaffolding procedures are implemented with the intent that eventually students will be able to do something on their own. In other words, there needs to be a plan as to how, over time, we’ll remove pieces of scaffolding to allow students to practice tasks with increasing independence. Here’s a very simple example that we’ll be discussing next week at our differentiation and scaffolding PD.
Lesson 1: Use word columns to give students a high level of scaffolding to write on a topic. For example, students might write four sentences about the use of darkness in To Kill A Mockingbird. For each sentence, they must combine one thing from each column in that order.
Sentence starters | verbs | extra information words |
|
illustrates
emphasises represents shows highlights |
because
and through by since for in |
Lesson 2: Students practice writing on the same topic. This time, they use word grids where there is less scaffolding. Students need to write eight sentences about the use of darkness in To Kill A Mockingbird. Using the word grid, students combine the three words in the top row to write a sentence. They can use the words in any order and as as many other words as they want. Students then repeat this procedure for each of the other rows, columns and diagonals.
and | threats | Scout’s innocence |
attack | darkness | through |
highlights | Harper Lee | prejudice |
Lesson 3: Students are given this task along with a brief vocabulary list to use: Write one paragraph analysing how Harper Lee uses darkness in To Kill A Mockingbird to represent innocence and evil. Use the following words in your paragraph:
- threats
- highlights
- attack
- prejudice
Lesson 4: Students repeat a similar task to the previous one, but with no word list.