Strategies to Increase Beginner Classroom Participation Skills: Teaching Methods in Application

Michele LaMarche compares eight ways to teach skills in this recorded classroom-participation session. She moves from discrete trials and natural environment teaching to verbal behavior, pivotal response training, fluency, direct instruction and peer learning, explaining how skills and teaching conditions influence method selection.

Presenter credits: Michele LaMarche.

The session begins with discrete-trial phases, maintenance and generalization, then compares natural environment teaching with mixed and varied practice. Examples connect the method being discussed to the skill a learner is working on.

Later sections introduce verbal operants, pivotal response training, fluency, direct instruction and peer-mediated intervention. The comparisons include data collection and the strengths and limitations to consider when choosing a method.

What does this recording cover?

• Discrete-trial phases, maintenance and generalization
• Natural environment teaching and mixed practice
• Verbal operants and pivotal response training
• Fluency, direct instruction and peer-mediated learning
• Matching a teaching method to skills and conditions

Course evaluation records

The six-item evaluation mean was 4.15/5 across 31 complete responses, from 246 recorded rating responses. This mean includes only unambiguous complete six-score responses. Source: Special Learning course evaluation records, snapshot October 11, 2026.

Certain definitions are not explained clearly.

Anonymous learner feedback, 2023

Use simple language, do not overcomplicate.

Anonymous learner feedback, 2023

this training is already very informative

Anonymous learner feedback, 2023

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