Lev Vygotsky
Scaffolding: give it, then take it away
Left up, it becomes dependence
The teaching application of Vygotsky's school
How much help is the right amount? The test is whether it comes down.
What actually happened?
Scaffolding is this school's metaphor for help: you put it up so someone can reach higher, and once they've reached, it comes down. Help that stays becomes dependence and leaves the person at the level where they're being held — which is how many patient teachers and parents end up producing students who can't work alone. So every intervention should carry the question of when it will no longer be needed. Whether a piece of help was good isn't judged by whether the task got done. It's judged by whether less support is needed next time.
Help should decrease by design
First time, demonstrate one step and have them do the next. Second time, prompt only the opening. Third time, nothing. The decrease is designed, not spontaneous — unless you actively withdraw, help gets waited for.
Demonstrate the whole solution every time and the child waits for the demonstration and never starts.
The test is less support needed next time
Whether help worked isn't whether this problem came out right; it's how many prompts the next one takes. That test transfers directly to managing people and stops you mistaking doing it for them for teaching.
They finished under your guidance, and the next similar task needs exactly as much guidance. That wasn't teaching.
Taking it down too early is also wrong
Scaffolding fails in two directions: left up it creates dependence; removed too early it discourages and pushes someone back into not trying. The pace is set by their response, not by your patience.
Struggling, give one more line. Making progress, say nothing. The test is their progress, not your discomfort.
How do I use it today?
Where you are: you're teaching someone and unsure how much to give.
Ask first: when does this help come down? Does the next round need less support?
Where it goes wrong: using 'it has to come down' as a reason to stop helping altogether. It comes down once they can reach.
Lines to keep
Scaffolding goes up in order to come down.
Whether help worked shows in how much they need next time.
Help that stays leaves people at the level where they're held.