scaffolding

noun

scaf·​fold·​ing ˈska-fəl-diŋ 

-ˌfōl-

1

: a system of scaffolds

… photographers were allowed, three at a time, to ascend the elaborate scaffolding …

—Eric Scigliano

also : material for scaffolds

2

: a support system or structure likened to a system of scaffolds

… in his readings and talks with authors, he is seeking theoretical scaffolding for his actions …

—John F. Dickerson

especially, education : a system or framework of support provided by an instructor to help a student reach the next level of learning

By identifying the next skills just above the child's current skill level, then providing scaffolding (or assistance) in a way that helps the child display the identified skills accurately, and then fading out the need for scaffolding, you can help a child to learn new things and become more independent.

—Heather Gilmore

Teachers should look for tools that help them easily adjust instructional scaffolding from assignment to assignment and from student to student—allowing them to meet students where they are as they learn to write for authentic audiences.

—Troy Hicks

Examples of scaffolding in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are posters featuring a tiger pasted on the scaffolding in front of your building. —Kathryn Kvas, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2024

Labels form the scaffolding of social constructs, shaping perceptions and interactions. —Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

It could also be used as a type of scaffolding for bone regeneration and to deliver medicine into the body. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Nov. 2024

The scaffolding on the upper floors of the 28-story office tower, which is lit at night for safety reasons, will be removed before the end of December, Knight said. —Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

scaffolding

noun

scaf·​fold·​ing ˈskaf-əl-diŋ 

-ˌōl-

1

: a system of scaffolds

2

: materials for scaffolds