CTESS ebook

Scaffolds Implemented (Frequency Tally)

The teacher is observed utilizing one or more of the following High Yielding Scaffolds during instruction. Scaffolding is the intentional practice of implementing a purposeful student support structure designed to maximize access and depth to grade-level concepts and tasks. Scaffolding helps students access the academic language of the content being taught so they can be successful on tasks that they cannot yet complete independently. Scaffolding should still allow students to engage in productive struggle, with the intent of gradually fading the scaffold as the student acquires and applies what they have learned. The teacher strategically and effectively uses scaffolds to increase student learning as they productively struggle with complex grade-level content during the observation. For example, to prepare students to read an upcoming text passage, the teacher provides students with definitions of new vocabulary contained in the text in order to provide students with the background knowledge needed to comprehend the text. Front loading may include pre-teaching to build background knowledge and provide access to content during instruction. For example, the teacher poses a problem, students have time to think about it individually, and then are instructed to work in pairs or small groups to solve the problem. Precision partnering (strategically appointing partners with assigned roles and responsibilities based on data to ensure all learners are supported) is a form of structured partner work. 3. Structured sentence starters and sentence frames to enable students to actively participate in classroom discussion or writing tasks at a higher level than they could produce on their own. • For example, the teacher uses sentence frames that provide opportunities for students to use key vocabulary within a structure in order to produce a higher level response than what they could produce on their own. 4. Graphic organizers (not worksheets) that help students visualize relationships between fact/concepts/ideas (e.g., Venn diagrams, flow charts to illustrate processes, organizational charts to show hierarchies). • The teacher uses a tool to introduce new content that contain task and content-related information along with visual representations of connections between content, but with less detail and room for student note taking. Graphic organizers include Venn diagrams, flow charts to illustrate processes, organizational charts to show hierarchies. Graphic organizers are not worksheets. 5. Visual realia (e.g., objects, photographs) that provide a visual representation of abstract ideas, vocabulary, and phenomena students are learning. • The teacher presents concepts or phenomena using graphic representations or the actual object(s) to help support learners in acquiring new ideas and concepts. For example, when teaching about the three types of rocks, using examples for students to see and touch can help them make deeper connections. 6. Chunking new information into smaller, manageable chunks of content to facilitate learning. • The teacher provides new information such as verbal instruction and informational text in digestible chunks. For example, the teacher manipulates text by adding headings to sections to highlight main ideas. 7. Manipulatives or concrete objects that purposely support hands-on learning of abstract concepts. • The teacher provides markers, toothpicks, blocks, or coins to support hands-on learning and provide concrete models to help students solve problems and develop understanding of abstract concepts. 8. Metacognitive strategies that demonstrate or model the thinking process to support student problem solving. • The teacher demonstrates or models the thinking process to support student learning, such as think-alouds or mnemonics. 2. Purposeful structured partner or small group work • Common High Yielding Scaffolds include: 1. Pre-teaching/Front loading •

Common High Yielding Scaffolds

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