Read Aloud Scaffolding for Language and Content Learning With Emergent Bilinguals: Quadrants of Engagement

ABSTRACT This study investigates the types of scaffolding strategies employed by elementary teachers during read aloud sessions, with a specific focus on emergent bilingual students. Through a multi‐site explanatory case study involving 14 elementary teachers across four districts, we analyzed the frequency and quality of scaffold use, categorizing them into interactive, linguistic, visual, and kinesthetic types. Findings reveal that interactive and linguistic scaffolds were the most frequently used (i.e., n = 446 for interactive, n = 399 for linguistic), often characterized by high teacher control (e.g., question–answer patterns), while visual and kinesthetic scaffolds (i.e., n = 155 for visual, n = 126 for kinesthetic) were underutilized. The study highlights the importance of coherent and congruent scaffold use, emphasizing that the quality of scaffolding, rather than the quantity, shapes student engagement and comprehension. The results suggest that read alouds, when strategically scaffolded, can serve as a powerful tool for enhancing both language and content learning. Implications highlight the need for teacher training in dynamic, student‐responsive scaffolding practices.