Teaching Methods

Hierarchy and Priming

Hierarchy of Skills

The idea is to balance activities according to the learner’s baseline abilities and emotional readiness for challenge.

Observation and Baseline: Start by observing how the child performs naturally—what feels effortless, what is moderately demanding, and what causes visible strain or resistance. Categorize Activities: Group activities into easy, moderate, and difficult based on the learner’s current competence and comfort level.

Session Composition (Flexible Guideline):

  • 20% difficult (challenge zone)
  • 20–30% easy (confidence-building and warm-up zone)
  • Remaining moderate (learning and practice zone) These percentages serve as a design guide, not strict quotas.

Personalizing Based on Disposition:

  • Learners who enjoy challenges may need a higher proportion of difficult tasks to stay engaged.
  • Learners who experience anxiety may need more reassurance and control—regular “rain checks” about feelings, readiness, and willingness to accept support.

Continuity and Choice:

  • Maintain continuity of tasks to help the learner experience progress, but if there is consistent resistance, pause and revisit the task in discussion. Avoid forcing participation; acknowledge that motivation and energy vary daily.

Priming

Priming prepares the learner’s mind for what’s coming, reducing anxiety and promoting engagement—especially before challenging activities.

  • Introduce Before Doing: Talk about the activity, show demonstrations or videos, or simply ask if the learner wants to try.
  • Visual or Written Scheduling: Present activities visually or in a written format to help the learner anticipate and mentally prepare for transitions.

  • Emotional Safety: Priming doesn’t ensure participation but makes engagement more likely by reducing surprise and building a sense of control.

  • Example: For a child who resists reading tasks, start with easy, low-stress activities like matching letters while labelling sounds aloud. Progress gradually to identifying phonemes. This fosters confidence, reinforces support availability, and lowers distress.

Key Takeaways

When planning sessions:

  • Gauge the learner’s baseline and emotional state.
  • Balance task difficulty intentionally.
  • Prime before challenging tasks to orient attention and reduce resistance.
  • Monitor emotional responses and provide flexibility and choice.

This approach supports autonomy, emotional regulation, and steady skill development, especially for neurodiverse learners.

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