A review of teacher implemented scaffolding in K-12

Although scaffolding—often in the form of help from a teacher—supports students to achieve more than they can do on their own, prior reviews have not focused on the role of the teacher in scaffolding. Using a systematic review, we categorized 41 articles by mode (hard or soft) and contingent processes (ongoing diagnosis, responsiveness, fading). We found that most studies took place at an elementary level, most often in language arts, and most in an intact classroom. Additionally, the combination of hard and soft scaffolds allows teachers more time to offer soft scaffolds to students who need more support.