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

Representative Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio, speaks as workers erect scaffolding at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, June 12, 2026. — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026

Looking out his window one day, Prieto noticed building fragments scattered across the roof of the scaffolding. — Jill Singer, Curbed, 14 Sep. 2026

Then scaffolding went up around the building almost immediately after state tax credits were issued in May. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

When the Cold War ended, that ideological scaffolding vanished. — Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 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