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

The residents had raised concerns in September 2024, including about the potential flammability of the protective green mesh contractors had used to cover the bamboo scaffolding, a department spokesperson said. —Jessie Pang, USA Today, 29 Nov. 2025

Preliminary investigations showed the fire started on a lower-level scaffolding net of one of the buildings, and then spread rapidly as the foam panels caught fire, said Tang, the secretary for security. —David Rising, Arkansas Online, 29 Nov. 2025

Officials said the blaze started on the external scaffolding and quickly spread across the bamboo and construction netting to the inside of the building, before spreading to the other buildings. —Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025

The dogs climbed 45-degree stairs, squeezed through hollow scaffolding, and moved quickly across uneven and debris-filled surfaces. —Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Nov. 2025

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