What is Scaffolding Literacy?

Scaffolding Literacy is a pedagogy designed to accelerate the literacy skills of learners. While this pedagogy is suitable for all learners, it is especially appropriate for those who have failed to make the appropriate literacy gains in school and those who are in danger of falling behind.

Scaffolding Literacy was developed by Brian Gray and Wendy Cowey at the University of Canberra during the period 1998-2003. It has been extensively trialled in two main research programs at UC:

• The Parents as Tutors Program
• The Scaffolding Literacy in Indigenous Schools Project, 1998-2003 (pdf 745KB)

Key elements of Scaffolding Literacy

The key elements of this unique approach to literacy teaching and learning program include:

• A radically different pedagogy that assumes that induction into literacy practices is a cultural practice that must be taught to students in an overt and structured manner. Literacy learning is not merely a set of technical skills to be ‘mastered’.
• The need for intensive and on-going support of the teachers implementing Scaffolding Literacy programs in schools. Teachers must be supported to rethink their literacy practices and be given time to develop new practices.

Read more about the key elements of Scaffolding Literacy here (pdf 226KB).

The Scaffolding Literacy in Indigenous Schools Program, 1998-2003

This Australian government funded project was undertaken by the Schools & Community Centre during the period 1998 – 2003. The program trialled the use of the Scaffolding Literacy pedagogy in a number of Indigenous schools in regional and remote Australia. The program was headed by then Schools & Community Director, Associate Professor Brian Gray.

A report on  the Scaffolding Literacy in Indigenous Schools Project, 1999 – 2003 is available here (pdf 745KB).

In 2004, a major new initiative was implemented by the Australian government, in conjunction with the Northern Territory Department of Education and Charles Darwin University, with the initial trial program being expanded into Northern Territory public schools (under the new banner of ‘Accelerated Literacy’).