Scaffold Me!
A student doesn't know what to say, so the teacher gives a small clue instead of giving the answer.
What is a hint/scaffolding?
A child gives an answer and you want to know how they reached it. Complete this teacher prompt:
“You think everyone belongs because _____?”
What makes you think that?/Tell me more about your thinking.
Student: “Her skin is brown.”
Teacher: “Yes. People have many different skin tones, which means shades of skin.”
What did the teacher do?
What is provide information/expand?
Student gives a detailed response.
Teacher: “Good job!”
What's missing?
Specific feedback about what the child actually did well.
Student: “I don't know.”
What should the teacher NOT immediately do?
Call on another student/give the answer and end the interaction.
Student: “Their skin is different.”
Teacher: “Look closely at the children. Think about the different shades you see…”
What QF strategy is the teacher using?
What is giving a hint?
Student: “They're friends.”
Teacher: “Yes! Good job!”
Does this response strongly demonstrate prompting thought processes?
No. The teacher could say, “What do you see that makes you think they're friends?”
Student: “Their skin looks different.”
Add information that expands the child's statement.
Yes. People have different skin tones. Some are lighter, some are darker, and there are many shades in between.
Turn:
“Great answer!”
into Quality of Feedback.
You used something you noticed in the picture to explain your answer.
Student: “I don't know why the author put different children in the book.”
Give an encouraging response that keeps the child thinking.
Let's figure it out together. Look closely at the children. What's one thing you notice?
Student: “I don't know why the children look different.”
Give a teacher response that provides assistance without giving away all the thinking.
Let's look closely together. What do you notice about their skin, hair, or other features?
Student: “They're all the same.”
Give a response that seeks clarification.
“When you say they're all the same, what do you mean? What is something they have in common?”
Student: “They look different colors.”
What vocabulary could the teacher introduce while expanding this idea?
Skin tone/shade.
Student: “Their skin is different, but they can still play together.”
Give specific feedback.
You noticed both a difference and a similarity. Their skin tones are different, but you noticed that they enjoy doing some of the same things.
Student notices something in the illustration that nobody else has mentioned.
Give feedback that demonstrates recognition.
You noticed something we haven't talked about yet! You were studying that illustration very carefully.
Teacher: “No. Look again.”
Revise the teacher's response so that it provides meaningful scaffolding.
Let's look again together. Look at the children's skin. Do you notice that everyone has exactly the same shade, or do you notice different shades?
Student: “Everyone's skin is special.”
Respond in a way that requires the student to explain their reasoning.
What makes skin special? What did you notice in the book that helped you think that?
Student: “They look different, but they're playing together.”
Expand the child's idea without replacing it with your own answer.
Exactly. Their appearances may be different, but they can still enjoy the same activities and have things in common.
A student goes back to the illustration to answer a difficult question.
What could the teacher say?
You weren't sure, so you went back to the picture to find more information. That's something strong readers do!
Student struggles, looks at the picture, tries again, and gives an answer.
Give feedback that reinforces persistence rather than correctness.
You weren't sure at first, but you kept looking and thinking until you found an idea. You didn't give up.
Student: “Everyone in the book is the same.”
Without telling the student they're wrong, give a 2-step scaffold that could help them reconsider their thinking.
You noticed that everyone has some things in common. Let's study two children on this page. What looks similar? What looks different?
Student: “They can still be friends.”
Create two consecutive follow-up prompts that could deepen the child's thinking.
Teacher: “What makes you think they can be friends?”
Student responds.
Teacher: “How does that connect to what the book is teaching us about differences?”
Student: “Everybody's different.”
Provide information that connects this statement to the larger message of The Skin You Live In.
Yes. People can have different skin tones and appearances, and those differences are part of what makes each person unique. We can be different and still belong together.
Which is stronger QoF and why?
A: “That's right! Great job!”
B: “You used two details from the picture to explain your idea.”
B, because it identifies specifically what the student did successfully and gives information the student can use again.
Your team has 30 seconds to create a mini feedback loop using at least three different QF strategies.
For example:
Teacher: “Let's look together. What's one difference you notice?” [Scaffolding]
Student: “Their skin.”
Teacher: “Yes, their skin tones—or shades of skin—are different.” [Providing Information]
Teacher: “Why do you think the author wanted to show us so many skin tones?” [Prompt Thought Process]
Teams earn the $500 if they correctly demonstrate and identify at least three QF moves.