Scaffolding

Abstract This article proposes a micro-sequential and multimodal approach to scaffolding in parent-child interactions. We argue for a more detailed understanding of how parents manage to transform their scaffolding into a time-limited intervention, transferring responsibility for the task to the child as soon as possible. In a social-interactional perspective following usage-based accounts of language acquisition ( Tomasello, 2003 ), adults play a supportive role, helping children to develop linguistic and discourse skills through structured and dialogical interactions (cf. the Language Acquisition Support System LASS, Bruner, 1981 , and the Discourse Acquisition Support System DASS, Hausendorf &…