Scaffolding Targeted Questions

Heavy Scaffolding

Pre-Teaching Questions

• Tell individual pupils in advance which specific question they will be asked
• Provide the question in writing so pupils can prepare at home or during independent work time
• Rehearse the answer with the pupil before the lesson
• Offer a choice of two or three questions so the pupil has some autonomy

Extended Thinking Time

• Give significantly more thinking time (30 seconds to 1 minute) before expecting a response
• Use a visual timer so pupils can see how much thinking time remains
• Normalise thinking time for all pupils, not just those with SEND
• Explain that good answers take time to formulate

Talk Partners

• Allow time for pupils to discuss the question with a talk partner before answering publicly
• Pair pupils thoughtfully so partners can support each other
• Encourage pupils to rehearse their answer aloud to their partner first
• Permit pupils to share their partner's idea if they feel more comfortable

Alternative Response Formats

• Allow written answers on mini whiteboards instead of verbal responses
• Permit use of gestures, pointing or selecting from options rather than speaking
• Offer sentence starters or frames pupils complete (e.g. "I think... because...")
• Use multiple-choice questions where pupils select an answer rather than generating one

Reducing Anxiety

• Avoid putting pupils on the spot with unexpected questions
• Use a "no hands up" approach where all pupils know they might be asked
• Frame wrong answers as learning opportunities and value partial or tentative responses
• Offer a pass option or the chance to come back to the question later

Medium Scaffolding

Whole-Class Pre-Teaching

• Tell the whole class in advance which questions will be asked during the lesson
• Display the questions on the board at the start so all pupils can prepare
• Revisit the questions at intervals to keep them fresh in pupils' minds

Structured Thinking Time

• Give all pupils individual thinking time (10-20 seconds) before calling on anyone
• Use the phrase "Think, then I'll ask" to signal thinking time
• Encourage pupils to jot down brief notes during thinking time

Sentence Starters

• Provide a selection of sentence starters pupils can choose from (e.g. "I believe...", "One reason is...", "The evidence suggests...")
• Display these visually on the board or on reference cards
• Model using sentence starters to structure answers

Scaffolded Responses

• Break complex questions into smaller steps (e.g. "First, what happened? Then, why did it happen?")
• Offer prompts if a pupil is struggling (e.g. "Think about what we learned yesterday")
• Accept partial answers and build on them (e.g. "Good start, can you add a reason?")

Reducing Demand While Maintaining Challenge

• Pitch questions at an appropriate level using Bloom's taxonomy (start with recall or comprehension, progress to analysis or evaluation)
• Use a mix of closed and open questions
• Ask follow-up questions to extend thinking without overwhelming

Light Scaffolding

Visual Display of Questions

• Display key questions on the board as pupils arrive so they can begin thinking about them
• Refer to the questions throughout the lesson to give pupils multiple opportunities to consider them
• Use question mats or prompt cards pupils can refer to independently

Think Time for All

• Establish a routine of brief thinking time before anyone answers
• Use wait time consistently to give all pupils a chance to process
• Avoid accepting the first answer immediately; instead, ask for multiple responses

Question Mats

• Provide question mats based on Bloom's taxonomy or subject-specific question stems
• Encourage pupils to use these to structure their own questions and answers
• Display examples of strong answers and discuss what makes them effective

Building a Safe Culture

• Create a classroom culture where all contributions are valued
• Model curiosity and use errors as learning opportunities
• Encourage pupils to build on each other's answers
• Use positive language ("Not quite, but that's an interesting thought")