Scaffolding Writing during an Inquiry Workshop

Seven children ages five through nine engaged with two graduate student teachers after school in a university-based literacy lab. Based on a home interest survey, the essential question, "What is movement?" was explored. The children generated further questions, read a variety of texts, and wrote about their experiences. The teachers focused on scaffolding the children's writing through demonstration, collaborative writing, and individualized instruction based on children's needs. This article describes two teachers' processes of scaffolding during an inquiry workshop. This is followed by suggestions and examples for implementing inquiry and scaffolded writing in school-based classrooms.