Why Is Scaffolding Important?

Scaffolding is the appropriate assistance given to students in order to aid them in achieving what alone may have been too difficult for them; it is using previous knowledge and experience to support the learning or new information. It is essential in all classrooms, for all students, but it particularly important for ELL students as they are not only absorbing new academic information but a new language as well. Scaffolding makes input more comprehensible but also serves to decrease the fear or boredom that comes from a student’s limited understanding the classroom. There are three main types of scaffolding: verbal, procedural and instructional. In my physics lesson plan – which begins with a discussion to solidify students’ beginning knowledge then moves into an experiment, mini lecture and group work – I believe I utilize all three of them. …show more content…
With this in mind, I would be sure to speak slowly and give students appropriate time to process information. Part of giving students time to process means not trying to interpret their answers or contributions to discussions, but allowing them to fully express their thoughts without outside input. Building off students’ responses is another way I would utilize verbal scaffolding; by repeating students’ answers and adding additional essential information in a “think aloud” fashion, I would model the full correct answer and pronunciation while also acknowledging students’ contributions to the class. Procedural scaffolding is included in the various instructional frameworks incorporated in this lesson, including explicit teaching, modeling, and independent