What is the primary goal of chaining in behavioral teaching?

The primary goal of chaining in behavioral teaching is to teach tasks in steps. Chaining involves breaking down a complex behavior or task into smaller, manageable components or steps, and then teaching those steps sequentially. This method allows learners to acquire complex skills by mastering each part before combining them into a complete task.

By focusing on incremental learning, teachers can provide students with clear guidance and support as they progress. Once the individual steps are learned, they can be linked together to form a complete behavior, making the learning process more manageable and effective. This approach is particularly beneficial for teaching new skills, as it reinforces mastery of each component and promotes a sense of achievement, which can be motivational for learners.

While evaluating student performance or assessing readiness for independent work are important aspects of the educational process, they do not encapsulate the primary objective of chaining itself. Similarly, discouraging repeated mistakes is more about error correction than about the foundational teaching strategy that chaining represents. Thus, teaching tasks in steps aligns perfectly with the essence of chaining in behavioral teaching.