Module 10: Clear Instructions and Mastery
In this module we will give you steps for effective teaching during your more structured learning sessions. We will also give you guidelines for keeping track of how well your child is learning new skills, and how to track the many things she has learned well. We will finish this section by giving tips for ways to help your child keep up the new skills she learns and use them in a many places and situations. For this module, start with The Importance of Giving Clear and Simple Instructions, found below. Then, work through each of these sections in the order listed. When you reach the end of each section, you will find a link to the next.
The ABC’s Of Behavioral Teaching
The Concept Of Mastery and Keeping Track of Progress
The Concepts Of Maintenance And Generalization
Module 10 Clear Instructions, Mastery, And Generalization Quiz
The Importance of Giving Clear and Simple Instructions
During early learning sessions, it’s important to keep your language very simple. For example, you can tell your child to “sit down,” or “stand up,” or to “give spoon.” We try to use as little language as possible to get the point across. So, instead of saying, “Ok, now I want you to put the spoon in the cup,” we might just hand the child the spoon, point to the cup, and say only, “Put in,” or, “In.”
If your child already understands more complicated language like, “Touch the picture of the bed, please,” that’s fine. You can use more natural language. But if you’re not sure how much language your child understands, or if you think she understands quite a bit, but she seems to miss things when you use long sentences, keep your instructions very simple. For example, in that case you might say only, “touch bed,” or, even just “bed.” That way, she can hear the important words and not be confused by extra words.
Sometimes you do not need to give any instructions. The context will be as good as an instruction. For example, a child should learn to wave bye-bye when someone else waves bye-bye to her first. This is without being told to wave. Once your child knows what you would like her to do in a specific situation, give her practice paying attention and responding correctly. This is even when you do not use a specific instruction for each trial.
In the next video clip, the teacher is working on imitation with objects. She gives the instruction, ”Do this,” while modeling the action, on the first trial. On the next trials, she just models what she wants him to do, and then gives him a waiting look, to show that she is waiting for his response. When he replies correctly, she reinforces him. See that when he fails to respond on one of the trials, she pauses for 2-3 seconds and remains calm. She makes sure he is paying attention and does the action again. Then she reinforces him enthusiastically for responding correctly.
When children don’t understand a lot of what people say to them, it’s natural for them to pay little attention to what others say. Using simple and clear language will help your child understand what you are saying. This is true both in your special learning sessions and in the natural environment. The more she understands, the more likely she will be to pay attention to you when you are talking to her.