This study was aimed at examining the role of teacher's scaffolding and Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) in promoting students' reading skills in Gore Preparatory School grade 12. The study used the pretest-posttest control group design. There were total populations of 62 students. All of them were taken as participants of the study and randomly divided in to experimental and control group. There were 31 participants in each group. To collect data the researcher used three instruments- tests, questionnaire and observation. The instruments' reliability was checked using the split-half and the Cronbach 's Alpha coefficient. The tests included placement test, pre-test and pastiest. All of them were taken from International English Language Testing System (JELTS). At first, a placement test was given for both groups. The results of the placement test were used as indicator of the students' difficulty areas so that it would be eqsy to determine their ZPD and to prepare scaffolding instruction (the treatment). The scores of the placement test were also used to divide students in to experimental and control group. This made the process of randomization easy and helped to make the groups similar in terms of their abilities. Before the treatment was started, pre-test was given for both of the groups and the scores were recorded and compared. The two groups were on similar status (homogeneous) before the treatment was given. Next to this, treatment was given to the experimental group for six weeks, 3 hours per week. During the treatment, different activities were practiced. Different strategies were employed to scaffold the students' reading skills difficulties. Everything was the same for both groups except the experimental group learned through scaffolding or took the treatment. After six weeks, the two groups sat for· the post-test and the difference was measured. The data was analyzed using t-test. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SP SS) software was used. The results from the posttests indicated that the performance of the students in the experimental group was found to be statistically significant in reading skills. The result from the questionnaire showed that the students have positive attitudes towards the scaffolding reading instructions which they practiced during the treatment. The data gathered from the observation showed that the teacher used different strategies to scaffold reading by supporting students within their ZP D. Hence, the researcher recommends, teachers should be committed to give substantial and ongoing support to their students and in order to facilitate good students' reading performance; there could be an understanding of how to scaffold students' reading within their ZP D and guide them towards becoming independent learners, and teachers should use methods in which students cooperatively work on task completion and receive proper assistance' from capgble others by creating cooperative learning and problem solving situations in the classroom.

A Thesis "Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master's of Education in TEFL