This document discusses scaffolding student writers. It contends that choice and building on student knowledge are important for writing instruction. The concept of the Zone of Proximal Development is introduced, which refers to what students can do with help versus alone. A variety of instructional scaffolds are described, including graphic organizers, feedback, modeling, and gradually releasing responsibility to students. Scaffolds should be tailored to individual students and modified through trial and error. Overall, the document advocates for scaffolding techniques that provide structure but also choice to guide students in the writing process.
2. About Me
I just finished my 5th year in teaching
3 years in 2nd grade, 1 year in 1st grade, 1 year
in reading intervention
Next year, I’ll be in 3rd grade
I work in a Champaign public school, mainly
consisting of African American and white students
70+% low SES, 50% not reading at grade level
4. Time to Try On Your Own…
Grab a few pieces or one piece of writing paper
Do any sort of writing with the paper you have
chosen
You may work with someone sitting by you if you
would like
5. Contention #2
Writing teachers should constantly take
what their students already know and build
upon that knowledge to further guide their
instruction towards deeper understandings
of writing and its process.
6. The Zone of Proximal Development
Vygotsky’s ZPD (1978) is often linked to the idea of
scaffolding
ZPD is the difference what a student can do without
help and what they can accomplish with help
“with scaffolding, students’ potential is far beyond
what it would be without” (Benko, 2012, p. 292)
Forms of instruction that can help students move through
their ZPD
7. Contention #3
In order to make scaffolds useful and
meaningful, we need to know our students.
Not all scaffolds will work and it is a
constant trial-and-error process. There is
no full proof method which will work.
8. Instructional Scaffolds
Scaffolds are created for tasks which may be beyond
what a student can do independently
Things to consider when creating instructional
scaffolds (Langer & Applebee, 1986):
Appropriateness: considering what a student already
knows and moving students beyond (to the next step)
Ownership: allow students the opportunity to create
something authentic and of their own interest, not just out
of compliance
9. Instructional Scaffolds, cont.
Ways to structure scaffolds (Wood et al., 1976):
Reduce degrees of freedom: simplify the demands of the
task and perfect components before taking on the whole
Mark critical features: find points of confusion for students
and guide them through those points of confusion
Direction maintenance: guide students in the right
direction when they are distracted or stop making
progress
Demonstration: model ways to help students move along
in their writing
10. More Examples of Scaffolding
The 5-paragraph essay and other graphic organizers
Feedback/Conferencing
Mini-lessons
Strategy groups
Modeling
Mentor texts
Writing and sharing with students
11. The Transfer of Responsibility
Teachers begin with a high degree of responsibility
(consider constant modeling of a skill or task)
Over time, there is a gradual release and the
responsibility is transferred over to the student
“In their instructional practices, teachers too often
forget to let the scaffolding self-destruct.” (Langer &
Applebee, 1986, p. 188)
12. Discussion
What do you think the purpose of the previous types
of paper you used was?
How could they be seen as a scaffold for students?
13. In my classroom…
For each of my writing units, I develop different types
of paper to help scaffold my students in the writing
process
I never force them to have to use a certain type of
paper, but I give them the opportunity the choose the
type of paper that best fits the writing they are
producing
14. Thinking about Your Own Classroom…
Think of one writing activity you do in your classroom
that could benefit from a design scaffold
How would the design look and how would it provide
both choice and guidance to your students?
15. Further Considerations
What if students were able to co-construct different
types of paper with me?
What if students were able to construct paper of their
own?
16. References
Applebee, A. N. & Langer, J. (1987). How writing
shapes thinking: A study of teaching and learning.
Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers English.
Benko, S. L. (2012). Scaffolding: An ongoing process
to support adolescent writing development. Journal
of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 56(4), 291-300.
Dorn, L. J. & Soffos, C. (2001). Scaffolding young
writers: A writers’ workshop approach. Portland, ME:
Stenhouse Publishers.
Wood, D., Bruner, J. S., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of
tutoring in problem solving. Journal of Child
Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines,
17(2), 89-100.
Hinweis der Redaktion
Refer back to the common core standards here: With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose… students have the right to choose and as teachers, we are to provide them with the appropriate guidance/scaffold
Share about specific units and how it was a trial-and-error process with the types of paper produced: I’ve tried graphic organizers and it helps some students guide their writing, but for most, it hindered… paper choice, especially for non-fiction writing seemed to help a lot
