The document discusses scaffolding literacy. Scaffolding literacy involves providing resources to help students access and engage with classroom language and texts, and guides students toward independent language use. It is not focused solely on language. Scaffolding is necessary for teaching as it involves modeling practices, providing scaffolded activities, and guiding students from initiation into a practice to independent construction. Scaffolding can be used in areas like exploring words/concepts, organizing knowledge, supporting reading, guiding writing, and scaffolding listening.