What teaching method involves providing temporary support to help students master new skills?

The correct answer is scaffolding, which refers to a teaching method that provides temporary support to students as they learn new skills or concepts. This approach allows educators to break down the learning process into manageable steps and gradually increase the complexity of the tasks as students become more proficient.

Scaffolding involves various strategies, such as modeling the desired behavior, providing guided practice, and offering feedback. The goal is to foster independence in learners, enabling them to tackle more challenging material once they have gained enough confidence and skill. By gradually removing the supports, educators help ensure that students can achieve mastery on their own.

This strategy is particularly effective because it recognizes that learners may need different levels of support at different stages of their learning journey. It emphasizes the importance of tailored instruction that meets students where they are and helps them grow.

In contrast, assessment, differentiation, and content knowledge serve different purposes in the educational process. Assessment is about evaluating students' understanding, differentiation involves adjusting teaching methods to accommodate different learning styles or levels, and content knowledge refers to the information that educators must possess to teach effectively. While all these elements contribute to effective teaching, scaffolding specifically addresses the immediate needs of learners as they navigate new challenges.