1. Teachers/practitioners begin the teaching episode with a maintenance trial (demonstration of a skill already mastered) and record the result.
2. Teachers/practitioners present the teaching step, if the learner passes the maintenance trial.
3. If the learner responds correctly on the first trial, teachers/practitioners repeat the teaching step several more times and record the results.
4. Teachers/practitioners present a more difficult level if the learner has reached the mastery criterion for the step (e.g., 90% success for three consecutive teaching sessions).
5. If the learner does not pass the trial step correctly, teachers/practitioners administer the trial again.
6. If the learner is successful, teachers/practitioners repeat items 3 and 4 above until mastery is accomplished.
7. If the learner is unsuccessful, teacher/practitioners repeat the trial adding an increased level of assistance (for example a physical rather than verbal prompt) to assure that the learner performs the skill and is reinforced.
8. Teachers/practitioners repeat the step, continuing to add the prompts, 3-5 more times.
9. If the learner is consistently successful, teachers/practitioners repeat the trial without the prompt several more times.
10. If the learner continues to fail the unprompted trials, teachers/practitioners will add the prompt again for several more successful trials before ending the teaching for the day.
11. Teachers/practitioners review mastered steps (maintenance trials) once or twice during each session and teach new steps following the massed trials format until all steps of the skill have been mastered.