Description of the Practice

Jerome Bruner, the renown American psychologist and educator, created a concept of scaffolding, based on his reading of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development. The expert (or teacher) brings the student to new levels of skill and understanding by breaking up a big task into smaller and more comprehensible steps. Some steps are bigger than others and require more support (intellectual and emotional). The teacher's job is to assess students' current levels of knowledge and skill, and create activities which link these novices to future (higher) levels of practice.

Over time students need less and less support to complete a task successfully, and the scaffold is removed. The student is able to perform that task independently, having internalized the rules governing the task, and can re-create it alone. The teacher may then create a new level of difficulty, or move the student into a new area of challenge.

Elements of the practice

Ms. M teaches in an elementary ESL program using either a pull out or push in format. The selection of which format is dependent on her relationship with each cooperating teacher. The closer the relationship, the more likely that it will be within the regular classroom. She is prepared ahead of time with carefully designed worksheets, always that she has created herself. She uses the drimark board sparingly but very effectively to write down new concepts. She introduces the concept of the day and informally assesses levels of the students familiarity by asking questions. Step by step she prepares her ESL students to do the writing task of the day in pairs, and later alone.

The lesson is very fast paced in the beginning when she presents the day's objectives. The greatest proportion of time is spent practicing the activity (alone or in pairs) while she circulates to give intellectual and emotional support. At the end, she either has the students assess their completed work on the spot or reminds the students that they will do so next time. She often, but not always requires at least two drafts before she closes an assignment and moves on.

Students all have individual writing folders which are updated frequently with new work in progress. Student work is often shared publicly and displayed prominently in the hallways. These contain not only the finished product but a listing of the objectives, the activities leading to the product and its relationship to the ELA standards. Ms. M holds very high standards for the students, and lets them know that while they are only elementary students, that she is preparing them for the English Regents one step at a time.

Evidence that the Practice Was Effective

Ms. M keeps careful records of student progress through careful observation and journaling, through examination of LAB scores (pre and post tests) and through comparing student writing samples over time. Her students not only make mandated gains and pass the LAB, but she is often asked to share her motivational and teaching strategies with other professionals.

Learner and School Contexts

PS 200 has an extremely diverse student body and an equally diverse set of program offerings. Learning opportunities are offered almost daily to the parents, as well, in an effort to close the gap between the school's culture and the many immigration experiences represented by these diverse families. Russian, Spanish, Urdu and Chinese are among the many languages spoken here.

This rich cultural mix is appreciated and used to teach the children not only about themselves, but to be concerned with others. Another emphasis which permeates the school's culture is print literacy; students bring books to the lunchroom every day as a matter of policy. It has paid off in that this school is among the top 125 schools in the city in reading. Finally, there is a balanced approach to curriculum: both computers and art (visual and performing) are equally valued. This possible due to an experienced staff, inclusive of a principal who is an alumnus of PS 200.