A teacher plans to use a five-step task analysis over five training days to help a second-grade student with severe disabilities learn the daily morning arrival routines. Which of the following is an appropriate goal for the student?

A teacher plans to use a five-step task analysis over five training days to help a second-grade student with severe disabilities learn the daily morning arrival routines. Which of the following is an appropriate goal for the student?

• A. The student will perform all five steps correctly for all five training days.
• B. The student will perform all five steps correctly for three of the five training days.
• C. The student will perform two of five steps correctly for all five training days.
• D. The student will perform three of five steps correctly for three of the five training days.

Answer: (D)

Focus on gradual mastery across steps and days. When teaching a five-step morning arrival routine, setting a goal that the student completes three of the five steps correctly on three of the five training days provides a concrete, observable measure of progress without demanding flawless performance from the start. This shows partial mastery and gives a clear direction for advancing to the full routine—for example, adding one more step or aiming for three days of more complete performance next. It also accommodates day-to-day variability in performance, which is common for learners with severe disabilities, while still yielding meaningful data to guide instruction. Choosing something like all five steps on all five days would be overly ambitious early in instruction; requiring all five steps on all days is unlikely at this stage. Aiming for three steps on three days strikes a balanced, attainable target that supports motivation and ongoing skill development.

Focus on gradual mastery across steps and days. When teaching a five-step morning arrival routine, setting a goal that the student completes three of the five steps correctly on three of the five training days provides a concrete, observable measure of progress without demanding flawless performance from the start. This shows partial mastery and gives a clear direction for advancing to the full routine—for example, adding one more step or aiming for three days of more complete performance next. It also accommodates day-to-day variability in performance, which is common for learners with severe disabilities, while still yielding meaningful data to guide instruction.

Choosing something like all five steps on all five days would be overly ambitious early in instruction; requiring all five steps on all days is unlikely at this stage. Aiming for three steps on three days strikes a balanced, attainable target that supports motivation and ongoing skill development.