Scaffolding Students’ Comprehension of Text

Article written by

Kathleen F. Clark & Michael F. Graves

Summarized by

Kristine Barrett

ScaffoldingThe scaffolding of a building under construction provides support

when the new building cannot stand on its own. As the new structure is completed and becomes freestanding, the scaffolding

is removed. So it is with scaffolded adult-child academic interactions. The adult carefully monitors when enough

instructional input has been provided to permit the child to make progress toward an academic goal, and thus the adult provides

support only when the child needs it. If the child catches on quickly, the adult’s responsive instruction will be less detailed than

if the child experiences difficulties with the task.

M. Pressley

Why use scaffolding?

• Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development

• Pearson and Fielding’s release of responsibility model

Inductive form of instruction

It teaches students how to find and organize information, create and test hypotheses that describe relationships among data sets. (Joyce & Weil)

Forms of Scaffolding Instruction

•Moment-to-moment scaffolding•Instructional frameworks

–Questioning the Author

–Scaffolded Reading Experience•Instructional procedures

–Direct Explanation of Comprehension Strategies

–Reciprocal Teaching

Moment-to Moment VerbalScaffolding

• Use of a variety of questioning techniques– Prompt– Probe– Help explain answers more

in-depth• Knowledge of how to ask

questions without giving answers

• Give meaning and purpose to questions

• Must remain very aware of students’ abilities

Instructional FrameworksInstructional Frameworks Questioning the AuthorQuestioning the Author

Use for reading individual Use for reading individual textstexts

Used to understand, Used to understand, interpret, and elaborate interpret, and elaborate on author’s meaningon author’s meaning

Open-ended questioning Open-ended questioning techniques instead of techniques instead of story element questionsstory element questions

A variety of responses is A variety of responses is desired from questionsdesired from questions

Designed by I.L. Beck, Designed by I.L. Beck, M.G. McKeown, J. M.G. McKeown, J. Worthy, C.A. Sandora, Worthy, C.A. Sandora, and L. Kucanand L. Kucan

Scaffolding Reading Scaffolding Reading Response (2 phases)Response (2 phases) Planning Phase in which the Planning Phase in which the

teacher must consider:teacher must consider: The students who are The students who are

readingreading The reading selectionThe reading selection The purpose for readingThe purpose for reading

Implementation PhaseImplementation Phase Pre-reading activitiesPre-reading activities During-reading activitiesDuring-reading activities Post-reading activitiesPost-reading activities These activities are These activities are

designed to guide the designed to guide the students to meet the students to meet the purposes set in the purposes set in the planning phase.planning phase.

Designed by M.F. Graves & Designed by M.F. Graves & B.B. GravesB.B. Graves

Instructional procedures for teaching reading comprehension strategies

•Direct Explanation of Comprehension Strategies•Reciprocal Teaching

Direct Explanation of Comprehension Strategies

The teacher…•Clearly explains strategy•How it is to be used•When it is to be used•Models the strategy•Provides opportunities for student modeling

Reciprocal TeachingTeaches four comprehension

strategies:

1. Questioning

2. Summarizing

3. Clarifying

4. Predicting

The strategies are directly taught and modeled.

The strategies are designed to teach understanding of the purposes of reading, activating prior knowledge, focusing attention on important content, critically evaluating text, monitoring comprehension, and drawing & testing inferences.

The teacher’s role is to provide the students with enough instruction and guidance as long as necessary. That instruction and guidance will continually change as the students develop their own skills and strategies, which will enable them to become independent learners and thinkers.

Final Thoughts•Very well written•Provides useful insights into reading instruction•Explained in easy to understand ways•Background information is provided•Constructivist elements are provided

–Scaffolding, zone of proximal development, Reciprocal Teaching, and the gradual release of responsibility model

•Definite instructions for use in the classroom–Allows students to grow into creative thinkers who are able to take learning into their own hands.–Each form builds on the other ones so students will continually use them in comprehending any type of material.–Students will begin to see the connections to all subject areas instead of just during “reading time”.

• Each form of scaffolding instruction requires students to think for themselves.•Teachers model strategies.•Collaboration between students is encouraged.•Examples are given from a variety of levels of education•Authors quote directly from classroom discussions so readers can “see” the form at work.•This is a real-world article, which would allow me to take the knowledge gained from it and begin using it immediately within my own classroom.

Scaffolding “is a highly flexible and adaptable Scaffolding “is a highly flexible and adaptable model of instruction that supports students as model of instruction that supports students as

they acquire basic skills and higher order they acquire basic skills and higher order thinking processes, allows for explicit thinking processes, allows for explicit

instruction within authentic contexts of reading instruction within authentic contexts of reading and writing, and enables teachers to and writing, and enables teachers to

differentiate instruction for students of diverse differentiate instruction for students of diverse needs” (Clark & Graves, 2005, p.579). needs” (Clark & Graves, 2005, p.579).