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

Those events which usually serve as narrative scaffolding are stripped of inherent meaning. — Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026

Experts found that the use of foam boards, non-fire-retardant scaffolding nets and canvases contributed to the fire's spread, the report said. — Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026

Among the shortcomings were the lack of proper investigations into the use of the foam boards and the fire-retardant quality of the scaffolding nets despite multiple complaints. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026

Once inside, the virus is shuttled along the cell’s internal scaffolding. — Karin Wuertz-Kozak, The Conversation, 27 Oct. 2026

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