Which concept describes tailoring instruction to a learner's needs by adjusting the amount of help?

• A. Private speech
• B. Scaffolding
• C. Inner speech
• D. Intersubjectivity

Answer: (B)

Scaffolding is the instructional approach described here. It means tailoring help to a learner’s current needs by adjusting the amount and type of support provided. In the Zone of Proximal Development, tasks are just beyond what the learner can do alone but doable with guidance. The teacher offers supports like modeling, prompts, cues, and step-by-step guidance, and then gradually fades those supports as the learner gains competence, guiding them toward independent problem solving.

Private speech refers to a learner talking to themselves to regulate thinking, while inner speech is the silent version of that self-talk. Intersubjectivity is about shared understanding that emerges through social interaction. These processes influence learning but do not describe the instructional method of adjusting help to fit the learner’s needs.