ABSTRACT
Studies in language development1 have shown the importance of the interactive relationship between adult and child in the development of language.2 The way in which an adult supports a learner is sometimes called ‘instructional scaffolding’:3 the teacher provides the structure so that composers can take on tasks which they would not yet be able to complete on their own. These kinds of structures underlie the task of scribing and listening. Scribes and composers working together are engaged on a common task for the clearly defined purpose of producing a printed text to read. The scribes make explicit the stages through which the composers will, eventually, internalise for themselves the process of writing. When a text is dictated, written down and then read the skills of reading are supported and encouraged by the interactions between the reader and the listener.
