Scaffolds and Differentiation

Linguistic Scaffolds

Linguistic scaffolds provide language supports that help students access content and engage in the thinking required to complete grade level tasks. Linguistic scaffolds usually fall into two categories:

Reading/Listening Scaffolds (Receptive Language)

These scaffolds work to help students access written text or spoken language, usually by defining key vocabulary and/or providing additional ways for students to access the information. 

Examples of this type of scaffold would be providing vocabulary resources to accompany a reading, as well as including visuals in a reading.

Writing/Speaking Scaffolds (expressive language)

These scaffolds help students by providing language to help student express their thinking. Providing a scaffold like sentence frames helps students focus on their ideas as opposed to what words to use to get started. 

On the paragraph level, sentence frames 

Strategies for Differentiation: 

In order to differentiate, teachers need to deepen their pedagogical toolbox and use a variety of strategies to engage and meet the needs of learners. Below are some suggestions but differentiating instruction is more complex that adding a strategy or two; It is a philosophy and approach to teaching and planning. 

For students who are English Language Learners, specific strategies and approaches can be used.