What does the term 'modeling' refer to in the context of Least-to-Most Prompting?

The term 'modeling' in the context of least-to-most prompting refers to the practice of demonstrating a behavior for the learner to imitate. This technique is crucial in teaching new skills, especially when learners may struggle to understand or perform a task on their own. By observing a modeled behavior, learners gain a visual reference that helps them understand how to execute a specific action or task. This approach allows them to see the expected result and gives them a practical example to replicate, thus facilitating their learning process.

In the context of prompting hierarchies, modeling is typically used as an initial step, providing learners with the necessary foundation to eventually perform the skill independently with minimal guidance. It serves to encourage imitation, which is a natural learning process, particularly in early childhood and developmental contexts.