3 Structured Literacy Activities for Scaffolding in the Intermediate Classroom

How Structured Literacy Supports All Learners, Not Just Those Who Struggle

A persistent myth in education is that Structured Literacy is mainly for junior classes or students who need intervention. In reality, Structured Literacy Approaches (SLA) are highly relevant for Year 7-8 teachers seeking to deliver effective, differentiated literacy instruction. The principles of SLA: explicit instruction, systematic skill-building, and cumulative practice are not confined to phonics. They underpin the kind of teaching that benefits all learners, from those who need catch-up to those ready for extension.

Below are three recommended techniques from Structured Literacy PLD that support scaffolding in the intermediate classroom, with an explanation of how they align with the core principles of SLA.

1. The “I Do, We Do, You Do” Model

(Explicit Instruction with Gradual Release)

What it is:This model structures lessons to move students from teacher modelling (I do) through guided, shared practice (We do) towards independent application (You do). It is a central feature of Structured Literacy because it breaks down complex literacy tasks into manageable steps and reduces cognitive overload.

How it supports scaffolding:

• Novice learners get repeated, scaffolded practice alongside peers.

• Struggling learners benefit from seeing expert modelling multiple times before attempting the task themselves.

• Advanced learners can move more quickly through “We Do” and take on extension during “You Do” with tasks that push deeper thinking.

SLA Alignment:SLA principles emphasise explicit, systematic, and cumulative instruction. “I Do, We Do, You Do” honours this by explicitly teaching, then gradually handing over responsibility while embedding opportunities for feedback and correction at each stage.

Example in practice:When teaching sentence structures, the teacher models constructing a complex sentence. Together, the class co-constructs additional examples before students independently create their own, with differentiated prompts based on need.

2. Handwriting and Sentence-Level Work as Daily Practice

(Building Fluency and Reducing Cognitive Load)

What it is:Even at Year 7-8, embedding short, focused sessions on handwriting and sentence construction develops fluency: in both the mechanical and compositional aspects of writing. These activities include handwriting speed and legibility challenges, sentence combining, and grammar-focused tasks.

How it supports scaffolding:

• Students with handwriting or fine motor difficulties receive targeted opportunities to improve without stigma.

• Writers struggling with sentence clarity or complexity benefit from structured practice and explicit feedback.

• Confident writers can explore more sophisticated sentence forms and grammar choices within the same framework.

SLA Alignment:SLA values mastery of constrained skills (e.g., handwriting, spelling, sentence construction) as the foundation for fluent writing. Regular practice ensures these skills become automatic, freeing cognitive space for higher-level composition.

Example in practice:Daily quick writes with specific handwriting or sentence-structure goals. For example, using subordinating conjunctions or creating appositive phrases help embed skills that underpin all writing tasks across the curriculum.

3. Sentence Combining and Revising Activities

(Scaffolded Application for All Levels)

What it is:Explicitly teaching students how to expand, combine, and revise sentences improves both writing quality and syntactic awareness. Activities might include transforming simple sentences into compound or complex forms, re-ordering sentence elements for clarity, or using conjunctions to show relationships between ideas.

How it supports scaffolding:

• Emerging writers receive clear models and sentence stems to work from.

• Developing writers refine their ability to manipulate sentence structures.

• Advanced writers can be challenged to vary tone, pace, and style through sentence manipulation.

SLA Alignment:This practice directly reflects the SLA focus on explicit teaching of sentence structure and grammar as tools for comprehension and expression. It reinforces the relationship between reading and writing, supporting both decoding and encoding skills in context.

Example in practice:Students work in pairs to expand a basic sentence into increasingly detailed and varied forms, discussing the impact of each change on meaning and clarity.

Why These Techniques Matter for Scaffolding

Year 7-8 classrooms encompass a wide spectrum of literacy abilities. Structured Literacy provides a framework where explicit, scaffolded, and cumulative instruction ensures all learners are supported:

• Low floors: Everyone builds foundational skills necessary for success.

• High ceilings: Strong learners can deepen their understanding and extend their capabilities within the same structure.

• Clarity and consistency: Shared approaches benefit the whole class, while scaffolding happens through task complexity, pace, and feedback.

By embedding these techniques, Year 7-8 teachers are not simply teaching to the middle. They are using Structured Literacy to create equity through precision, clarity, and responsiveness to learner needs.