Beyond Sentence Stems: Deep Scaffolding for Inclusive Literacy

Thinking Deeply about Primary Education

Episode 229:

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In this instalment of Thinking Deeply about Primary Education, I welcome Rachel Ball and Alex Fairlamb back to the podcast to explore scaffolding in reading, writing and oracy. Drawing on insights from their forthcoming book The Scaffolding Effect: Supporting All Students to Succeed (Routledge, July 2025) Routledge, the conversation unpicks how purposeful, time-limited support can elevate both oracy and literacy. We delve into:

• why structured talk is the gateway to high-quality writing

• practical routines that fade, rather than fossilise, support

• aligning scaffolds with cognitive load theory and adaptive teaching

• avoiding common misconceptions such as over-prompts and dependency traps

• actionable takeaways that busy teachers can try on Monday morning

Whether you are refining sentence-level work or nurturing whole-class dialogue, this episode offers a research-informed blueprint for helping every pupil find their voice on the page and in the room.