Bridging Traditional and AI-Enhanced Scaffolding: A Systematic Integrative Review of Early Childhood Interventions

This systematic integrative review examines how scaffolding, grounded in Bruner’s foundational functions, is operationalized in early childhood interventions. We analyzed 20 peer-reviewed studies published between 2005 and 2024, focusing on three primary conceptualizations-fading, enrichment, and comprehensive models-and their developmental impacts. Early childhood represents a critical window for cognitive, language, and socio-emotional growth; however, effective interventions often face challenges in resource-limited settings and heterogeneous educational environments. Our synthesis identified three dominant approaches. The fading approach, characterized by gradual withdrawal of support, consistently yielded higher mean effect sizes and more robust developmental gains. Enrichment strategies emphasized rich learning experiences but produced more variable outcomes. Comprehensive models aimed to incorporate all of Bruner’s functions; however, measurable impacts were often more diffuse. We highlight the pivotal roles of outcome measure sensitivity and intervention fidelity in capturing true intervention effects. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) offer transformative potential. AI’s capacity for continuous learner monitoring and real-time parametric adjustments positions it to implement fading strategies with precision, dynamically adapting support as competence increases. By merging sociocultural learning principles with computational power, AIenhanced scaffolding can foster highly individualized learning trajectories. These insights underscore the need for standardized reporting guidelines and longitudinal studies to optimize early childhood interventions, particularly as AI integration accelerates. Our review provides a nuanced understanding of scaffolding’s operationalization across contexts and over time and suggests future research directions for harnessing AI-enhanced scaffolding in early learning.