Detailed Notes on Discrete Trial Teaching Strategies

Discrete Trial Teaching Strategies

Error Correction

  • If a student makes an error, prompt them to look at a peer for the correct answer.
  • Provide praise for both the student and the peer model for their participation and correct response.

Responding with Response Cards

  • Level 3: Focus on teaching students to respond along in a group using response cards.

Graduated prompting

Teaching in Steps
  • Start with a simple question the student knows the answer to (e.g., "Write your name.").
  • Model the correct response for the student.
  • Prompt the student to hold up their answer (response board).
  • Provide physical guidance as needed to ensure the student holds up the board correctly.
  • Use verbal cues such as "Boards up".
Fading Prompts
  • Gradually reduce prompts (e.g., only hold up the board, then remove the verbal cue).
  • Continue to reduce the prompts by no longer holding up the board or providing a verbal cue.
  • Provide practice opportunities with different questions which the student knows the answers to.
Timed Trials
  • Use timed trials to measure and improve student response rates.
  • Start by taking a baseline measurement of how many questions the student can answer within a specific time period.
  • Encourage the student to respond more quickly in subsequent trials.
  • Provide enthusiastic praise for improved responses.
  • Continue providing practice opportunities to improve fluency.
Visual Cues
  • Offer a list of responses for questions the student hasn't yet learned to answer.
  • Prompt the student to refer to the list by pointing.
  • Fade these prompts by no longer pointing to the answer.
  • Provide ample practice opportunities with different questions.

Responding vocally in a Group

Level 1
  • Objective: Increase participation and review lesson information.
  • Provide visual cues, such as flashcards or writing on the board, indicating what the students should say together.
  • Point to each word as it is to be said.
  • Provide vocal cues using a short, consistent phrase to signal a group response. (e.g. "You?").
  • Model the information first, then cue students to respond with a phrase like "your turn".
  • Incorporate this skill into fun classroom routines, like reciting multiplication tables.
Level 2
  • Model the response by sitting next to the student and providing a vocal model of the group response.
  • Move closer to the student as needed, then gradually fade prompts by moving further away.
  • Provide rewards for following along with the group.
  • Provide visual support by writing the response on the board or pointing to each response.
  • Seat that student closer to a peer model during group response activities to facilitate imitation.
Level 3
  • Instruction: Say after me.
  • Fade prompts by removing the word "say" before each word.
  • When the student can repeat words, teach them to answer questions along with a peer.
  • Prompt students to answer together by pointing towards them.
  • Fade prompts by no longer pointing.
  • Teach the student to answer a variety of questions with a peer, prompting by saying the question out loud.
  • Fade prompts by not saying the question out loud.
  • Increase the pace of questions as the student improves.
  • When the student can respond with one peer, increase the number of peers.
  • Use both a vocal and visual cue, like saying "your turn" while pointing.

Responding with Fluency

Objective
  • Help students complete tasks and assignments more quickly and accurately.
Level 1
  • Use flashcards and timed trials to help students memorize basic facts.
  • Provide a timer, recording sheet, and flashcards.
  • Each flashcard should have a question on one side and the answer on the other.
  • Demonstrate timed trials: answer before turning the card, placing correct answers in one pile and incorrect answers in another.
  • Encourage students to just read the question and the answer like for example 35,21,4935, 21, 49.
  • Repeated timed practice with a task can improve completion speed and accuracy.
  • Provide a math worksheet and a recording sheet.
  • Set a time limit and have students complete as many problems as possible.
  • Provide answer sheets for students to correct their work with check marks for correct answers and x's for incorrect ones.
  • Teach students to record their results by coloring squares on a recording sheet.
  • Give time to review errors and provide repeated practice.
  • Implement a reward system for successive improvements.
  • Students can create their own fluency flashcards, such as vocabulary cards with terms on one side and definitions on the other.
Level 2
  • Assess the student’s current reading rate.
  • He built houses.
  • He built built schools.
  • And you saw Perfect.
  • Set a goal higher than the baseline.
  • Model reading the target passage before the student reads it.
  • Provide feedback and practice on missed words and phrases.
  • Have the student read the passage three to five times.
  • Introduce a new passage after the student reaches mastery criteria.
  • Read along with the student to provide additional support.
  • Provide additional practice with parts of the passage where the student is making more errors.
  • Praise the student even if they needed assistance.
  • Review the rules of fluency exercises with flashcards.
Level 3
  • Use motivation systems with tokens and number lines indicating completion goals.
  • Determine how many responses the student can complete without the number line.
  • Place a cue a few spots above the baseline number completed.
  • Present the motivation board and review what the student will earn for completing more responses.
  • Create tokens representing student rewards.
  • Gradually increase the number of responses required.
  • Teach the student to complete a variety of responses within a time interval.
  • Use peer models to demonstrate quick and accurate responses.
  • Provide training for the peer model beforehand.
  • Allow the peer to provide feedback and encouragement.
  • Praise and encourage both the student and the peer.
  • Use timed practice to break down tasks into steps and improve completion speed for each step.
  • Take a baseline measurement of how long it takes the student to complete the entire task.
  • Time how quickly the student completes each step.
  • Gradually decrease the time given to complete each step.
  • Remind the student of the goal and provide additional opportunities if errors occur.
  • Embed timed practice into fun activities and games.

Waiting for an Activity

Level 1
  • Set clear expectations by telling students what to do while waiting.
  • Monitor and praise on-task behavior.
  • Remind students of what to do while waiting as they near completion of an activity.
  • Praise students for initiating the waiting activity.
  • Use reward systems, such as classroom points, for appropriate waiting behavior.
Level 2
  • Keep students engaged by assigning tasks.
  • These tasks can be the same or different to each other.
  • Provide an activity as needed, such as a worksheet.
  • Provide visual support with a timer or clock to indicate how long the wait will be.
  • Use a schedule with start times for each activity.
  • Use picture schedules where the student can move a marker to the next activity.
Level 3
  • Provide visual cues, such as a timer, to indicate wait time.
  • Create a picture cue for appropriate waiting behavior.
  • Teach in steps: start with short wait times for preferred items.
  • Use a timer to indicate how long to wait.
  • Give the item and provide praise and rewards when the student waits appropriately.
  • Gradually increase the wait time.
  • Have the student practice waiting for a variety of items.
  • Periodically give the student the requested item without requiring them to wait.
  • Teach the student to wait for activities, not just items.
  • Offer an alternative activity while waiting.

Working in a Group

Level 1
  • Assign roles to ensure every student participates (e.g., facilitator).
  • Plan group composition ahead of time, considering diversity, strengths, and interests.
  • Vary group members as needed for different activities.
  • Monitor and provide feedback to ensure cooperative work.
  • Review instructions to ensure students understand before beginning the activity.
Level 2
  • Rehearse the group activity with the student, then have them practice with a peer.
  • Review concepts needed for the activity.
  • Have the student practice roles they may have in the group.
  • Allow the student and peer to engage in the group activity.
  • Monitor responses and provide prompts as needed.
  • Provide praise and rewards for both the student and peer.
  • Provide visual support with pictures to accompany verbal instructions.
  • Demonstrate how to do the activity before the group does it.
  • Start by placing the student in a small group of two or three.
  • Direct the student’s attention to group members as needed.
  • Show group members how to prompt the student, modeling direct questions.
  • Promote independence by fading distance.
Level 3
  • Have the student practice a group activity with an adult first.
  • Provide rehearsals of group activities, reviewing concepts and roles.
  • Use the same strategies on level 2 as necessary.