Structured teaching is an instructional approach designed to:
* increase the child’s understanding of expectations
* increase the predictability of events for the child
* promote greater independence within the classroom
* maximize the child’s likelihood of experiencing success
There are at least three components of structured teaching:
* the physical organization of the classroom
* the use of schedules and routines
* the manner in which teaching activities are designed and presented
The provision of structure increases the child’s “availability for learning”
Different types and levels of structure may be required by different children, or by the same child at different times
Children also need to be taught strategies for handling changes in routines and coping with reduced structure