“Scaffolding is an instructional technique whereby the teacher models the desired learning strategy or task, then gradually shifts responsibility to the students.” (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory)

The graphs below sum up the process at an eye glance.  See “Gradual Release of Responsibility” for more images.

As described by the Turning Points by the Center for Collaborative Education, the “Gradual Release of Responsibility moves from

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Teacher Ownership——————–> Student Ownership

Just as we teach swimming by gradually removing supports (scaffolding) from students in order that they learn to be successful independent swimmers, we must teach literacy in the same way. For example, we know that activating prior knowledge allows someone to be a more proficient reader. The question then becomes how do we teach students to activate prior knowledge when they read. The answer? Teach the strategy explicitly using a gradual release of responsibility process.

First, by modeling the particular strategy.

• Second, by using the strategy in a large group setting with the teacher directly participating for direction and support.
• Third, by expecting students to use the strategy in small group settings with the teacher stepping back from direct participation in order to monitor the use of the strategy.
• Finally, by expecting each student to use the strategy independently while the teacher is monitoring the work both directly by observing students and indirectly by reviewing student work (logs, response journals, writing.)

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I’ll RUN WITH IT! As I became acquainted with this model as an elementary education major, I became fascinated at the sound reason I felt the principles imbued. Once a mother, I began to think about about educating my children, both spiritually as well as temporally with physical development and skills.  I decided that this was a good model to run my parenting by.  As the babe in my arms needed constant attention and required that I did everything for the infant, I would be the heavy handed parent who met the needs required.  As the infant grew into toddlerhood, childhood, teen age years and then adulthood, I would do less and less till my  ’bird’ left my ‘nest’, ready to ‘fly’.  In the beginning, the child’s choices would be strongly guided and heavily influenced by me, by offering choices that were restricted and simple (such as do you want your vegetables on the side, or mixed in) and as the children gained understanding and competency, I would release the responsibility of choice making eventually to the child entirely.

MY INTERPRETATION AS A HOME EDUCATOR: As a homeschooling mother, I wonder that most people I meet, don’t surmise that I am sheltering the child, which will hurt the child’s ability to gain independence in the end.  I believe that right now,  we are sheltering indeed, creating a shelter that provides the environment I choose, in the beginning when I choose for my influence to dominate the child’s life.  This we see as completely appropriate in the young and sensitive years.  As we see a child is ready to make wise decisions without constant guidance, then they will move to the next level of independence prescribed under the bullets above–we will have them participate in various groups or coops where mother’s influence floats in and out but is not dominate, allowing the child to have some parental support as they step toward social and academic independence.   Lastly, we will send them off to a setting where parental presence moves from instructor to mainly observer on the side-lines who cheers, routes, comforts, and corrects only when necessary.  As my husband and I work through these stages with our children, I believe this quote by Douglas Fisher, Ph. D; Professor of Language and Literacy at San Diego State University, (A Gradual Release of Responsibility, pg. 2) to be critical.  He states.  ”It is important to understand that the gradual release of responsibility is not linear.  Students move back and forth among each of the components as they master skills, strategies, and learning standards.”

DIFFERING PROCESSING of THE LATER STAGES: These latter stages are as critical in my opinion, as the beginning ones.  The child can experience a myriad of choices, yet process difficult situations and decisions with a parent, and thus learn valuable lessons that will steer the child to greater competency and adulthood characterized by integrity.  Because the steps aren’t necessarily linear, as prescribed by Dr. Douglas above, then as an adult discerns is best for the child, children can experience these independent settings coupled with adult conversation and processing, arbitrarily.

RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE on the DECISION, for our personal family, Respectively: On a religious standpoint, as a Latter Day Saint, we believe that a child is not accountable for their choices until they reach the age of eight.  See Moroni 8:22 and Doctrine and Covenants 68:27.  This is why tentavely, our family  would like to keep our  little ones close to mother where I can be their main influence, until their minds reach a state where they can reasonably discern incoming information.

IN SUMMARY, the PROCESS for our Family: My husband and I have decided to tentatively home-school our children during the most impressionable years, and acquaint them with rich, sweet and good curriculum that molds their inner character and creates a strong base from which to build their life from.  Then we plan to release them to small group opportunities led by differing trusted adults, in the form of schools, coops, extra curricular activities etc that surround them with various peers where they can be offered vaster opportunities and greater abilities for independent decision making.  Lastly we plan to provide them with various school settings where parents take the least amount of control, and the child is prepared to make many independent decisions that can be coached here and there as is necessary.