🎯 Teaching & Learning Activities

Total Duration: 120 minutes | Structure: I do → We do → You do (Gradual Release)

Time Phase Focus
0:00–0:15 Introduction ZPD hook, pre-test review, misconceptions
0:15–0:40 Part A Teacher think-aloud modelling
0:40–1:30 Part B Guided group annotation
1:30–1:45 Part C Sharing, synthesis, peer dialogue
1:45–2:00 Closure Post-test, exit ticket, summative preview

Introduction (15 minutes)

Purpose: Activate prior knowledge, surface misconceptions, set up the ZPD framework

1. ZPD Hook (5 minutes) +

"What a child can do with assistance today, she will be able to do by herself tomorrow." — Lev Vygotsky

Activity: Discuss in pairs:

"What does this mean for teaching reading?"

Expected responses: Support helps learners grow; temporary help leads to independence; peers can assist learning.

2. Pre-Test Review with Misconception Analysis (7 minutes) +

External Tool: Mentimeter

How to Use Mentimeter for This Activity:

  1. Visit www.mentimeter.com and create a free account
  2. Create a new presentation with three "Scales" questions:
    • "Scaffolding means simplifying the text" (Agree/Disagree scale)
    • "Think-alouds are only for struggling readers" (Agree/Disagree scale)
    • "Once learners can read independently, all support should be removed immediately" (Agree/Disagree scale)
  3. Display the voting code on screen for students to access via their phones
  4. Show live results and discuss common misconceptions

Purpose: Identify baseline understanding and address misconceptions using ZPD lens

Debrief key points:

  • Scaffolding is temporary support, not simplification
  • Think-alouds help all readers make strategies explicit
  • Support should be faded, not suddenly removed

3. Introduce the Gradual-Release Structure (3 minutes) +

Teacher says:

"Today we will use an 'I do — We do — You do' structure, aligned with Vygotsky's ZPD. I will model expert reading; then you will work in mixed-ability groups where peers scaffold each other; finally, you will plan how to use this in your own teaching."

Part A: Teacher Think-Aloud Modelling (25 minutes)

Pedagogy Link: Teacher acts as the More Knowledgeable Other (MKO), making invisible metacognitive processes visible

1. "I Do" — Modelled Think-Aloud (15 minutes) +

Materials: Text A — a short, slightly challenging academic/educational text about scaffolding

Setup: Project Text A with annotation symbols visible

Teacher demonstrates:

"Before I start reading, I look at the title and ask myself: What might this text be about? I predict it will explain why scaffolding is more than just helping.

As I read, I notice the phrase 'temporary support.' I'm going to put a star (*) next to it because that seems like a key idea.

I'm not sure what 'fading' means in this context. I'll put a question mark (?) and read on. I think it means gradually taking support away. Let me check..."

Strategies to model: Predicting, clarifying, making connections, questioning, inferring

Teacher tip: Model at least three different strategies. Use annotation symbols exactly as students will use them later.

2. Pair Debrief (5 minutes) +

Think-Pair-Share prompts:

  • "What did you notice me doing while I read?"
  • "Which strategy did I use most? Which one was hardest for me to model?"

Purpose: All students rehearse metacognitive language before small-group work

3. Introduce the Annotation Code Card (5 minutes) +

Display and distribute:

Annotation Code Card

  • ? = I have a question / this is confusing
  • * = Key idea / important information
  • ! = Surprising / interesting / opinion
  • C = Connection (text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world)
  • P = Prediction
  • INF = Inference / reading between the lines

Part B: Guided Group Annotation (50 minutes)

Pedagogy Link: Mixed-ability groups allow stronger readers to act as peer MKOs

1. Set Up Groups and Roles (5 minutes) +

Group formation: 15–18 groups of 5–6 students

Roles: Leader, Scribe, Clarifier, Connector, Reporter

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