Which instructional approach involves providing supports and gradually removing them as the learner becomes independent?

• A. Direct Instruction
• B. Cooperative Learning
• C. Explicit Teaching
• D. Scaffolding

Answer: (A)

Providing supports and gradually removing them as the learner becomes independent is scaffolding. This approach starts with helpful supports—modeling how to approach a task, prompts or cues, prompts, and guided practice—to help the learner succeed. As competence grows, those supports are systematically faded or removed, shifting responsibility from the teacher to the learner until independent performance is achieved. Scaffolding is flexible and tailored to the learner’s needs, making it especially effective for students who require temporary assistance to reach independence.

Direct Instruction and Explicit Teaching emphasize clear, structured, teacher-led delivery and explicit demonstrations, but their defining feature isn’t the step-by-step fading of supports to promote independence. Cooperative Learning centers on student collaboration and task sharing rather than the gradual withdrawal of individual supports to foster independence.