The gradual withdrawal of adult support based on Vygotsky's ZPD is known as scaffolding.

• A. VAKT
• B. Text readability
• C. Self-assessment
• D. Scaffolding

Answer: (D)

Scaffolding is the support a more knowledgeable person provides to help a learner work within their Zone of Proximal Development, and then those supports are gradually removed as the learner becomes more capable. The Zone of Proximal Development is the range of tasks that a learner can do with help but cannot yet do independently, and scaffolding uses modeling, prompts, guided practice, and feedback to move the learner toward independence. This makes scaffolding the best fit because it captures both providing assistance and withdrawing it as competence rises. Other terms describe different ideas—learning styles, text readability, or self-assessment—so they don’t capture this process of guided, gradually fading support.