What is prompting?
Prompts are any sort of action or instruction that we use to influence a correct response. Whether we realize it or not, the prompt hierarchy is a part of our daily lives! We ALL rely on prompts to help us get through our day. Every day, we use prompts such as timers, notes on a calendar, and reminders from a friend. Even the red and blue labels on a faucet are there to prompt us to choose the correct water temperature!
When we are talking about prompting in the academic setting, prompts are cues that we give students to guide them towards a desired response. Prompting is usually associated with ABA or intensive teaching settings. However, prompts can be useful in any setting where we want to guide a student to an errorless response and promote independence!
The Prompt Hierarchy
There are five types of prompts: physical, verbal, visual, gestural, and positional. Each of these types can be used fully or partially, which makes each prompt versatile!
Next, I will go through the hierarchy from MORE to LESS intensive prompts. Every child is different, so it is important to know your students in order to determine which prompt types will work best for them.
Physical
Physical prompts are the most intensive form of prompting. These prompts can include helping a child complete a task with hand-over-hand assistance, physically guiding a child to an area, or moving their hand to the proper item. Physical prompts are sometimes necessary for students who need the most intensive interventions. Using physical prompting is also necessary in instances where safety is a concern, such as using hand-over-hand to help a child chop with a knife during a cooking activity.
When it comes to physical prompts, it is important to understand your students’ needs, as some kids may be sensitive to physical contact. If a student is resistant to being physically prompted, move to a less invasive style for academic tasks.
Verbal
A verbal prompt is a verbal instruction given to the learner. A more intensive verbal prompt would be a direct instruction, such as “Time to clean up.” Partial verbal prompts are another example. For example, Making the beginning sound of a word or providing the start of a sentence are examples of partial verbal prompts. Verbal prompts do not necessarily have to be vocal prompts. Signs and written words are also examples of verbal cues!
Visual
Visual prompts are photos, illustrations, or icons that represent a task or instruction. Picture schedules, stop signs, and other classroom area labels are examples of visual prompts that help students understand what they need to do during the day. A tool such as a visual keychain can help teachers quickly give prompts to students.
Another example of a visual prompt is a card for the letter A with a picture of an apple. The apple is a visual reminder of the short a sound the student should produce.
Gestural
Gestural prompts include pointing to, reaching towards, looking at, and touching a desired outcome. For example, the teacher may point to the sink as a cue for the student to wash their hands. During an academic period, the instructor might point toward the correct answer to prompt an errorless response from the student.
As a student becomes more adept, glancing and partially reaching towards an item are less intensive gestures to use.
Positional
The least invasive form of prompting is the positional prompt. To use a positional prompt, place the desired response in closest proximity to the student. This can mean positioning a number card close to the student with other responses a bit further away. If you want a child to use a spoon, you might place the spoon in proximity to them so that they are more likely to pick it up.
You can find even more information about the prompting levels in this blog post.
Fading Prompts
The goal of prompting is to promote independence! As a student becomes more adept with completing targeted tasks, it is important to fade prompts from more to less intensive. Trial and error will help you see which prompts are effective. Then, you can move down the hierarchy to a less intensive style.
How do you use different parts of the prompt hierarchy in your classroom? Leave a comment with your ideas!
