Use an observational checklist to scaffold support levels: open-ended questioning for children needing less support, explicit instruction for children needing more¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Within Ladders to Literacy, teachers first use "the program's observational checklist to determine what tasks and teaching strategies in the lesson are developmentally appropriate for each child." Based on this information, teachers differentiate: those needing less support receive more open-ended questioning and feedback, while those needing more support receive more explicit instruction. This makes the supplement adaptable across ability levels within whole-group settings.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Teachers must administer the observational checklist to assess each child's developmental level before selecting scaffolding.

Constraints¶

• The strategy is described as part of the Ladders to Literacy program's design, not tested as a separate manipulation.

Target Learners¶

• kindergarten students of varied ability levels, including children with disabilities and at-risk learners

Target Learning Goals¶

• early language and literacy skills

Related Strategies¶

• Scaffolded Questioning
• Personalize and differentiate family text messages to each child's developmental level

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• What Works Clearinghouse, U.S. Department of Education. (2007). Ladders to Literacy for Kindergarten Students. WWC Intervention Report. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/InterventionReport/259