Planning instruction that addresses the learning needs of various groups of students and takes into account the specific learning needs of each student is a distinguished teacher’s goal. Scaffolding is a tool that can help.

The term “scaffolding” also comes from Vygotsky’s work, and it adds yet another layer of understanding to what we mean by differentiating in the Zone of Proximal Development. Vygotsky explains that “scaffolding requires the teacher to provide students the opportunity to extend their current skills and knowledge. The teacher must engage students’ interest, simplify tasks so they are manageable, and motivate students to pursue the instructional goal” (Hausfather, 1996).

In other words, teachers can provide students with a “leg up” to help them get over the hurdles they face while learning, especially when they are being stretched well into or beyond their ZPDs. Since it’s not possible to modify what we teach for each and every student, there will be times when some students in a particular grouping have an especially big “stretch.” When the learning hurdles are high, teachers can still help students find success by providing extra scaffolding to help them bridge the gap.

Hausfather, S. J., Outlaw, M. E., & Strehle, E. L. (1996). Relationships as a foundation: Emerging field experiences within multiple college-school partnerships. In T. Warren (Ed.), Partnerships in teacher education (pp. 27–41). Lanham, MD: University Press of America.