Use task analysis

Task analysis involves breaking large tasks into small, teachable

units. Teachers often need to break complex tasks down into subskills
to ensure students are successful. Each sub-skill should be
taught and reinforced in sequence. For example, when teaching a
self-help skill such as brushing teeth, the task may need to be
broken down into sub-skills: getting the toothbrush and
toothpaste, turning on the water, wetting the toothbrush,
unscrewing the lid of the toothpaste, putting the toothpaste on the
toothbrush, etc. Life skills, social skills and academic skills can
also be broken down into teachable components.
Forward and backward chaining
Skill sequences that have been broken down through task analysis
may be taught through forward and backward chaining.
Forward chainingIn forward chaining the emphasis of
instruction is placed on teaching the first behaviour or skill in
the chain that the student has not mastered. For example, a
teacher might use forward chaining to teach the student how to

access a particular computer program. Forward chaining on

this task might involve teaching the student to turn the
computer on, if the student has not mastered that step. The
teacher would focus his or her instruction on this step while
simply assisting the student through the remaining steps of the
task. As each step is mastered, the teacher would reduce or
eliminate assistance on previous steps. Gradually the student
masters more of the steps until he or she can complete the task
independently.
Backward chainingIn backward chaining the last behaviour
or skill in the sequence that the student has not mastered is
taught first. In the example used previously, the teacher might
assist the student through all the previous steps of the skill
sequence and focus his or her instruction on teaching the
student to double click on the appropriate computer program.
Once that step is mastered, the teacher might concentrate on
teaching the student to select the correct program from the
computer desktop. As in forward chaining, assistance is faded
as the student completes more steps of the sequence
independently.
Backward chaining has the advantage of allowing the student to
experience the completion of the task immediately after
instruction. For instance, if backward chaining were used to teach
a student to put on his or her coat, the last step of the task would
likely be pulling up his or her zipper. Following task completion,
the student would probably be given an opportunity to go outside.
As a result an activity that is reinforcing (going outside)
immediately follows the task (pulling up his or her zipper).

However, the decision to use backward or forward chaining often

depends on the nature of the task.