Helping young children follow their teachers’ directions: The utility of high-probability command sequences in pre-k and kindergarten classrooms

Compliance with adult instructions is crucial to children's academic and social success. One strategy that has proven particularly successful in increasing compliance is the use of a high probability command sequence (HPCS) prior to delivering a low probability request. However, most studies conducted in school settings have focused on the procedure's applicability to students with disabilities. In this study, we targeted typically developing pre-k and kindergarten students with a history of noncompliance to teacher directives. We taught the teachers to integrate the HPCS into ongoing classroom activities as a mechanism for increasing student compliance. For three of the four participants, clear increases in compliance to low probability requests were observed. Interestingly, however, compliant responding to low probability requests were not always preceded by compliance to high probability re-quests.