Parents can scaffold learning and development by assisting their child in performing at a level beyond which he or she could perform without their guidance. For example, when learning to walk on a balance beam, a child needs a parent’s hand for balance, but as the child’s balance and motor control improves, the parent can reduce assistance and just stand by in case of a slip.
In ideal parent-child interactions, the parent controls only those aspects of the task that are beyond the child’s capabilities. Therefore, the parent must be sensitive to the child’s abilities and provide only as much assistance as is needed for the child to perform the task.