Identifying and saying the correct letter-sound

Student: Sara Date: 04/23/19

Objective
Objective: When given a letter, Sara can independently
identify the correct letter-sound with 100% accuracy
over three consecutive trials.
Connected to core: Reading: Foundational Skills
Standard 2: Demonstrate understanding of spoken words,
syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
Reinforcement
Type: Penny chart to select choice reinforcer (see special
considerations below). Five pennies must be earned to trade
in for the reward. Provide 5 trials per session. Maximum
time of reward is 1 minutes per session.
Schedule of delivery: Every correct response.

Program Steps Error Correction

1. Unknown letter sound.
2. Unknown letter sound with distractor (blank Stop: Use stop sign, and immediately say “No, with gestural
card with scribble). shaking of head” if Sara does not say correct letter sound.
3. Unknown letter sound plus 5 known letter-
sounds (Sara has to pass off letter-sound and Back-step/Repeat the cue: “Sara this is a “Letter,” what
known letter sounds three times each sound does “letter” make?”
independently with 100% accuracy before
moving on to a new unknown letter sound). Prompt: Back up to previous level of assistance, and say “
4. Review the unknown letter-sound and known Sara, this is “letter” it makes the sound “letter sound.”
letter sounds used. “Now, you make that sound for “letter.”
5. Repeat for each unknown letter-sound.
Select one:
Discrete Forward Backward Total
Skill Chain Chain Task
X
Location/Setting Criteria for Moving to Next Step
1:1 instruction during DT literacy groups Sara passes off a letter when she can independently identify
the correct letter-sound with the letter, with 100% accuracy
over 3 consecutive trials.
Materials Needed Prompt Strategy
1. Modeling
• Letter-sound cards (known and unknown words) 2. Verbal
• Penny chart 3. Independent
• Choice basket
Select one:
Most-to-Least Least-to- Time Delay
Most Progressive Constant
X X
Instruction Generalization
Instruction/Cue: “Sara, what sounds does “letter” Stimulus Factors: When reading/ letter identification is
make”. required

Naturally occurring cue for the behavior:
DT Literacy group, when working 1:1 with letter sounds
Student Response/Behavior
Sara will identify the letter and make the correct letter
sound.
Response Factors: Sara will identify the correct letter and its
letter sound.
Special Considerations
Sara is easily distracted by windows, open doorways, people,
noises (buzzing from projector, heater/AC).
Summary of Data (photo of data above)

Baseline: I began my personal baseline assessment with the letter-sound W (Sara has been
working on letter-sounds ever since she came to Longview elementary in January of 2019- It’s
one instructional goal she already had, and I built of it). In the baseline assessment, Sara
demonstrated her ability to identify the letter sound of W and her known letter-sounds. Sara was
able to identify the correct letter-sound on three consecutive trials with 100% accuracy.

Instructional: (photo of data above)

Letter-sound W: Sara was able to identify the letter-sound W (Only W was shown during this
phase) with 100% accuracy of three consecutive trials. W + Distractor (W + blank card with
scribbles) Sara was not able to identify the letter-sound W on the first try. Sara was able to then
identify the letter-sound W on three consecutive trials with 100%. W + 5 known words, Sara was
able to identify the letter-sound W over three consecutive trials with 100% and the known words
over three consecutive trials with 100% accuracy.

Letter-sound B: Sara was able to identify the letter-sound B (Only B was shown during this
phase) with 100% accuracy of three consecutive trials. B + Distractor (B + blank card with
scribbles) Sara was not able to identify the letter-sound B on the first try. Sara was able to then
identify the letter-sound B on three consecutive trials with 100%. B + 5 known words, Sara was
unable to identify the letter-sound B on the first trial, but then correctly identified the letter-
sound B over three consecutive trials with 100% and the known words over three consecutive
trials with 100% accuracy.

Letter-sound C: Sara was able to identify the letter-sound C (Only C was shown during this
phase) with 100% accuracy of three consecutive trials. C + Distractor (C + blank card with
scribbles) Sara was able to identify the letter-sound C on three consecutive trials with 100%. C +
5 known words, Sara was able to identify the letter-sound C over three consecutive trials with
100% and the known words over three consecutive trials with 100% accuracy.

Analysis of Performance at Each Phase

Baseline (Letter sound W): Sara was unable to identify the letter-sound W once a
distractor was first presented, but after a verbal modeling Sara was able to identify the
letter-sound W in this discrete trial phase with 100% accuracy over three consecutive
trials. Sara demonstrated her ability to correctly identify the letter-sound W (One verbal
prompt during 1 distractor phase), in each discrete trial phase through independent
prompting. She was able to pass off each discrete trial phase with 100% accuracy of three
consecutive trials. Sara is ready to move on to her next letter sound and move the letter-
sound W to her known words pile.

Letter-sound B: Sara was unable to identify the letter-sound B once a distractor was first
presented, but after a verbal modeling Sara was able to identify the letter-sound B in this
discrete trial phase with 100% accuracy over three consecutive trials. Sara demonstrated
her ability to correctly identify the letter-sound B, in each discrete trial phase through
independent prompting (One verbal prompt during 1 distractor phase). She was able to
pass off each discrete trial phase with 100% accuracy of three consecutive trials. Sara is
ready to move on to her next letter sound and move the letter-sound B to her known
words pile.
 Letter-sound C: Sara demonstrated her ability to correctly identify the letter-sound C, in
each discrete trial phase through independent prompting. She was able to pass off each
discrete trial phase with 100% accuracy of three consecutive trials. Sara is ready to move
on to her next letter sound and move the letter-sound C to her known words pile.

* The teacher will continue to implement discrete trial training with letter-sounds until
Sara is proficient in each letter-sound independently with 100% accuracy.

Critique of Program

Overall, the program was extremely effective for Sara. Sara was continuously held to
high expectations. I believe using this discrete trial training increased Sara’s motivation
and learning. I say this because Sara gets distracted easy and has a short attention span. It
really worked for her that each trial was short, and Sara knew that there was a clear
beginning and end to each trial and understood her penny chart system and expectations.
In my own self-reflection one thing I need to work on when implanting instructional
programs is not “hinting” at the right answer. I caught myself a few times during this
instructional program slightly pointed at which letter-sound Sara was identifying and
needed to hand me during the distractor phase and known letter-sound phase. This can be
detrimental because students can pick up on that and begin to rely on that and expect you
to “show” them the answer. The teacher will continue to implement discrete trial training
with letter-sounds until Sara is proficient in each letter-sound independently with 100%
accuracy. Sara is making beautiful progress, and I truly believe if her teachers keep up on
this skill daily, Sara will pass off al her letter sounds by the end of this school year.