Appropriate Scaffolding

Vygotskians use two types of scaffolding: universal and specific. When children engage in the activity that is the leading activity for this age (such as make-believe play for preschool), this activity provides universal scaffolding to all children that participate, allowing all of them to function at the highest levels of their respective ZPDs. In addition, Vygotskians use specific scaffolding designed to fit the skill or concept children are learning.

Vygotskians use three tactics for scaffolding children:

External mediation — giving the child a tangible object to remind him of what to do or focus on, like highlighting a passage in a book.
Private speech — prompting the child to “say it to himself” or to talk himself through an action, such as saying the steps in the directions to yourself.
Shared activity — designing a way for children to interact in a pair or in a group so that children can engage in other-regulation or gain maximum benefits from a specific social context.

Specific scaffolds for children and techniques to help teachers develop their own scaffolds are built into the Tools activities and professional development workshops.