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

Despite lawyers for the center confirming in a court filing, via Forbes, that the removal had finished later that morning, the scaffolding and tarp remained. — Adam England, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026

For decades, scientists believed this renewal depended heavily on fibroblasts, a class of supportive cells nestled in the deeper layer of the skin that secrete growth-promoting molecules and build the structural scaffolding that holds tissue together. — Peter Jurich, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2026

Family trees are the perfect scaffolding for heritage travel, says Crista Cowan, corporate genealogist at Ancestry. — Matt Alderton, USA Today, 22 June 2026

Millions lined the streets, hanging from street poles and perched atop scaffolding. — Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 21 June 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