Observation and Reflection of Visual Scaffolding
as a Strategy for Teaching English Language Learners
Visual scaffolding is a strategy for teaching English language learners (ELLs) that utilizes drawings, photographs and other visuals in order to help students to better understand the language used in each lesson (Herrell, 26). This strategy encourages active involvement from all students in each lesson. Using methods and resources that add context to the language that a student is learning, such as props, gestures and pictures, contributes to that child’s language acquisition and ultimately to the production of new language (2). Diaz-Rico and Weed (220), and Ovando, Collier, and Combs (2003), believe that teachers who constantly use scaffolding strategies, including visuals and graphics, to assist English learners in multiple areas of learning, are supporting their students in making significant achievements in comprehension of both academic English and curriculum content (7).
When teaching English language learners, each classroom activity needs to be structured so that the students are able to participate in the lesson at a level that they are comfortable (2). Visuals go way beyond the basic photograph, visuals used in scaffolding may include images found on the internet, personal photographs taken by either the teacher, a parent or a student, illustrations in books, children’s artwork, homemade videos, commercials and even class-made videos. A variety of visuals used ensures multiple connections to vocabulary words and concepts. Incorporating familiar visuals in lessons, such as family pictures, videos or cultural objects can put students at ease and make individual students feel much more comfortable participating in lessons.
This strategy can be used at all levels, but is especially appropriate at the lower levels, in elementary and middle schools. If I were to teach a group of English language learners, in an elementary school setting, I anticipate doing many things. First, I would label almost everything in my classroom that is a visual representation of a vocabulary word. For example, I would put a label on the door saying “door” for English learners. Without even trying, when I student looks to the door and sees the word “door” they will be furthering the connection in their brain between the object and the name of the object in English. Labels can be made for almost everything in the classroom, including windows, chalkboards, desks, lights etc. I have seen this method used in almost every one of my Spanish classes, from middle school to high school. In my own experience, I found the method to be extremely useful when trying to learn and make connections to vocabulary words.
While many types of visuals, such as videos, cannot necessarily be stored by students as a reference, many can be, such as drawings and photographs. Graphic organizers that incorporate visuals are great, especially at the lower levels, because they present the information in an organized fashion that can be made readily available to each student as a reference that can be used at any time. These organizers would be implemented in my classroom and would be kept by each student in a binder so that they could be used as a reference when learning new vocabulary words and reviewing old vocabulary words.
I also believe that note-cards are a great way to help students learn new information, memorize that information, and make connections using that information. Note-cards that utilize pictures are great for language learners because they enable students to make visual connections to vocabulary words and concepts. These note-cards can be stored, like graphic organizers, for later use. I anticipate using note-cards a lot in my future classroom.
I believe that visual scaffolding may be one of the most useful strategies for teaching English language learners in a formal classroom setting. This strategy can be tailor-made to lessons in any subject, at any grade level. The use of visuals in the classroom helps to further students’ connections to the material and is a great way to encourage student participation in each lesson.
Herrell, A. L., & Jordan, M. (2012). 50 strategies for teaching English language learners (4th ed.). Columbus: Pearson.
