What concept refers to teacher support enabling a child to accomplish a task they could not do alone, fading as independence grows?

• A. Segmenting
• B. Scaffolding
• C. Semantic clues
• D. Standard score

Answer: (B)

Scaffolding is the idea that a teacher provides temporary support to help a child accomplish a task they cannot yet do alone, and then gradually fades that help as the child becomes more capable. The teacher might model the steps, offer prompts or guiding questions, or break the task into smaller, manageable parts. As the learner shows understanding, the supports are withdrawn bit by bit, so the child takes on more independence and can perform the task on their own. This approach aligns with the idea of the Zone of Proximal Development, focusing on what a learner can do with help versus what they can do independently and guiding the move toward independence. Other terms refer to different concepts: segmenting is about breaking tasks into parts, semantic clues relate to using meaning in reading to figure out information, and a standard score is a measurement from a standardized test, not a teaching strategy.