How Can Tutors Help? Planning Scaffolded Reading Experiences

Explicit reading instruction means that we show learners how we think when we read … eventually, the goal is for readers to use these strategies automatically and seamlessly (Harvey & Goudvis, 2000, p. 12).

Poor readers often lack the automatic thinking strategies that lead to text comprehension (see chart in PDF format). Guided conversations about reading, with opportunities to identify, practice, and internalize key mental habits, will improve their skills. A scaffolded reading experience refers to a plan of activities (before, during, and after reading) to engage readers in specific thinking strategies as they encounter texts.

Picture a scaffold on a building—a framework that anchors the structure and gives workers access; it’s temporary and when workers no longer need it, the scaffold comes down. A reading scaffold is built by the tutor as he explains, demonstrates, and coaches specific thinking strategies; the structure supports the development of comprehension as the student reads. Gradually, the coaching (scaffold) is withdrawn as the reader achieves independent use of the strategies.

Kevin Tutors Pilar: An Illustration