Using high-probability instruction sequences with fading to increase student compliance during transitions

Making efficient transitions from one instructional activity to another has been shown to increase academic learning time and therefore student achiev ement. Because compliance with teacher instructions is a prerequisite for e fficient transitions, we sought to determine if high-probability (high-p) i nstruction sequences issued by a classroom teacher would increase student c ompliance and decrease latency to comply during transitions. Three children in a regular second-grade classroom participated Each day at the beginning of morning calendar rime, the teacher issued five instructions to the clas s as a group while compliance data were recorded for the 3 target students. Following baseline, a multielement design was used to examine the effects of the high-p instruction sequence. We then systematically faded the number of inst ructions included in the high-p sequence as a means of transferrin g stimulus control to low-probability instructions. The procedure was effec tive for 2 of the 3 participants, and the results were maintained at 2- and 3-week follow-up. The implications of these findings for group application s of the high-p instruction sequence in regular education classrooms are di scussed.