SCAFFOLDING

In the UK, scaffolding on buildings usually involves the use of rigid materials. In Hong Kong, bamboo is used for scaffolding. Bamboo is a flexible material which supports the development of a new structure.

The main aim of scaffolding in educational terms is to advance skills and abilities. It is does not mean that the learner is supported within a task without making progress in terms of their skills.

Some suggestions………

  1. READING

Use of pictures to support understanding

Pre-teach key terms

Discuss subject matter

Relate subject matter to personal experience

Paired reading

Reading aloud

Revisit familiar texts

Use texts which reflect diverse cultural backgrounds

Use of taped material/dual language resources

Story maps/diagrams/marked texts

Directed activities related to texts

Questioning and use of peer models to exemplify how to express understanding

Use of additional adults to go over texts, to question and to clarify meaning and contextual matters

  1. WRITING

Story maps (labelled)

Writing based on personal experience/stories which have been shared and discussed

Pictures & question prompts to support guided writing

Discussion so that pupils hear words/phrase/sentences that could be used for writing and so that they are clear about the task

Writing frames

Activities involving making up sentences with key sight vocabulary (whole class & small group)

Phrase banks on whiteboards/sheets

Oral feedback

Models of writing

Cloze/gap filler exercises (e.g. Clicker 4/5)

  1. SPEAKING

Rehearsal time in small group situations

Time to stand back, listen & absorb models of language before being asked to speak, e.g. in circle time

Oral feedback (e.g. couching short chunks of English into sentence form,reordering sentences, using specific verbs/nouns to replace vague terms such as ‘thingy’, etc.)

Role play

Grouping with clear models of spoken English

Visual prompts (e.g. pictures, story sack items)

Repetition & reinforcement of key terms, structures, language functions.

Games (matching & sorting games, action rhymes, etc.)

Talking through about recent personal experience/first hand activities

Questioning to clarify details (who/what/where/when)

Checking and summarising (e.g. So first you…then after that you…is that right?)

  1. LISTENING

Regular use of visuals/concrete referents/gesture/demonstration

Repetition

Use of active listening tasks, e.g. draw a tree next to the house/ put the red circle under the green square, Simon Says, specific instructions in PE using locational vocabulary, action games & rhymes (e.g. parachute games), lining up (If you are wearing/If your name begins with/if your birthday is in/if you have a brother, etc.)

Dual language tapes & tapes of stories (commercial and school made)

Go over key instructions & ask EAL/monolingual pupils to repeat back steps in a task

Use other pupils to talk about meaning of particular terms

Questioning (Avoid questions such as ‘Do you understand?) Use ‘or’ questions regularly especially for early stage EAL learners

Tell pupils to listen out for certain details (two or three) before listening to instructions/a story read aloud, e.g. Where did/What colour was/ What did , etc.

Read texts aloud and then show the pictures (If pictures are always there, pupils may switch off from the language used and depend only on the pictures for understanding/following a story)