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Backward chaining: teaching young ones self-care

When teaching a new skill we often start at the beginning. This can be challenging for children who
are struggling to master a skill.


One way of learning a new task while giving your child a sense of achievement is to use the
backward chaining technique. Backward chaining has been found to be particularly useful when
learning self-care skills. It can also be helpful when teaching younger children and those who have
difficulty learning new skills.


So what is backward chaining?
You start by breaking the task down into small steps. You teach your child the last step first, working
backward from the goal. You complete all of the steps except the last one and have your child
practice the final step. Your child will enjoy the success that comes from completing a task. Once
your child has mastered the last step you complete all of the steps except for the last two. You teach
your child the second from last step and they then complete the last step themselves. Even more
success! You continue like this until you are teaching the first step and your child is completing all
the other steps.


This is a particularly useful technique to use when teaching a child how to get dressed or undressed.
This technique can also be helpful for teaching any task that has a number of steps.


Here is the list of steps for you to use when you want to try the backward chaining technique.

Example of putting a t-shirt on using the backward chaining method


First you break the task down into steps.


Here are the steps of putting on a t-shirt normally

Now follow this process for backward chaining.

1. You lay the t-shirt down
2. You pick up the t-shirt and place it over your child’s head
3. You hold out the first sleeve and put their arm through the sleeve opening
4. You do the same with the other arm and the second opening
5. Teach your child to pull down the t-shirt.

1. You lay the t-shirt down
2. You pick up the t-shirt and place it over your child’s head
3. You hold out the first sleeve and put their arm through the sleeve opening
4. Teach your child to push their second arm through the sleeve opening
5. Your child pulls down the t-shirt

  1. You lay the t-shirt down
    2. You pick up the t-shirt and place it over your child’s head
    3 | P a g e
    3. Teach your child to hold the first sleeve and put their arm through the sleeve opening
    4. Your child pushes their second arm through the sleeve opening and pulls down the t-shirt

1. You lay the t-shirt down
2. Teach your child to pick up the t-shirt and place it over their head
3. Your child pushes both arms through the sleeve openings and pulls down the t-shirt

1. Teach your child to lay the t-shirt front side down on the bed/floor/table with the lower edge
nearest to them
2. Your child picks up the t-shirt and places it over their head, pushes both arms through the
sleeve openings and pulls down the t-shirt
Your child can now put their t-shirt on independently

Steps for Some Everyday Activities

• Sit on floor, bed or chair
• Hold pants by waistband, label at the back, picture (if applicable) at the front
• Lower pants and lift one leg into pant hole
• Put other leg into the second pant hole
• Pull pants up to knees
• Stand up and pull pants up to waist

• Sit on floor, bed or chair
• Hold trousers by waistband, look for label at the back
• Lower trousers and lift one leg into hole
• Put other leg into the second hole
• Pull trousers up to knees
• Stand up and pull trousers up to waist

• Sitting on the floor with back against the wall or on a chair
• Hook both thumbs into opening of sock and hold onto edge
• Push toes into sock
• Lift foot and pull sock over heel
• Pull sock up leg

• Sitting on the floor with back against the wall or on a chair
• Slip shoe over toes
• Place the index finger inside the heel of the shoe and pull the shoe the rest of the way over
their foot
• Place foot on the floor and stand up to push foot down into shoe

two children playing on a trampoline