Scaffolding & Differentiation techniques

What does scaffolding mean?

It involves explaining what it is and then provide them with examples and support. It’s a strategy that guides students through a step-by-step process. Therefore, teachers build support based upon what students already know as new abilities are introduced. 

What does differentiation mean?

This kind of instruction can improve a child’s chances for success. It involves making changes to instruction to address individual student needs and learning styles. Students have their own unique abilities and background knowledge that affect their readiness to learn so it is the teacher’s responsibility to react responsively to each students' needs.

Activity proposed for scaffolding: Realia

Include visual and real-life objects in lessons to facilitate the learning of new vocabulary. For instance, prior to the reading of a text about animals, I could bring to class a toy for each animal that appears in the story, or, if they are teenagers perhaps it is a better idea to show them pictures of the animals or the topic dealt in the text in order to facilitate the understanding of the text. In this way, when this new vocabulary appears in the text they will already be familiar with it. So, if the aim is to understand the text, the scaffolding technique could be to show them visual images or objects (realia) to ease prior understanding and allow for total comprehension.

Activity proposed for differentiation: Create their own activities

Students’ abilities differ, so a good strategy for the understanding of a text seen in class would be to put students to work in different groups. We could propose several activities in order to analyse and fully understand the text after reading it by dividing the class into different groups according to their distinct preferences of activities. For instance, some of the proposed activities that they would then have to expose in front of the class would be:

·  Translation: they could deal with the translation of some words which they don’t understand or have more difficulty

·  Quiz: others could prepare a quiz with some questions to test class’ comprehension of the text

·  PowerPoint or Prezi: others could prepare a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation

In this way, each group would focus on different ways of analysing the text according to their abilities. Some students may find it easier to memorise the meaning of words thus might prefer to use the translation method, others may be more imaginative and hence would prefer to invent some questions for the quiz, and others may be very good at using technology and would prefer to prepare a presentation using with visual images and special effects.

By using this technique we would be enhancing their abilities and making them feel good with themselves because they would be playing an active role in class. Besides, in working directly with the text and having to create their own activities, the learning of new vocabulary would probably be ensured. 


Bibliography:

Scaffolding in Education: Definition, Theory & Examples - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com