The chart allows the child to write new words independently and encourages the child to write, even when the teacher is not around. Thus, telling the child how to spell does not amplify development, but while teaching the child how to use the alphabet chart does amplify development. The design of scaffolding must take into account the developmental level of the child as well as the target skill or concept. Scaffolding for second graders, for example, is different from that for kindergartens. In addition, scaffolding would not be the same for children who are just beginning to learn to read and those that have struggled with learning to read for a long time.
Scaffolding has to be tailored to the child's individual needs.
Our general philosophy is that most teaching techniques are useful for a specific group of children for a specific period of time. The problem is that we often use the techniques with children for whom the method is either too hard or too easy. Also, we often use a technique past the point of its effectiveness. For the average teacher, to find the perfect match between a child's needs and a certain technique is difficult, given the demands of the classroom. Children with not identical but those with similar needs can benefit from the same type of activity, although to a different degree.